In a ceremony against the backdrop of the fighter jet, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday formally received the first Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jet at Dassault Aviation’s Merinac facility in southwest France.
“It is a historic day,” Rajnath Singh said in his brief remarks before the formal approval of the aircraft. The defense minister termed the Rs 59,000 crore fighter jet deal as a “new high” in defense cooperation as a “new milestone” in the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The minister told the audience that Rafale, a French word, translated to “a gust of wind” in Hindi and expressed confidence that it would live up to its name and make the Indian Air Force even stronger.
Rajnath Singh will fly in a two-seater Rafale fighter jet soon after.
“I look forward to flying in a Rafale… it will be a great honour and experience,” Singh said, thanking Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces of France, for the gesture.
The ceremony to receive the first of the 36 fighter jets bought for the Indian Air Force is essentially a symbolic one, timed to coincide with Dusherra and the 87th India Air Force Day.
Singh hoped that Dassault Aviation would be able to stick to the timelines for the delivery of the remaining 35 fighter jets between May 2020 – when the first Rafale jet will land in India – and its 2022 deadline.
