The French aviation company Dassault has delivered the last Indian Air Force’s final Rafale fighter plane. Tensions along the eastern border with China rise following the incident in Tawang. The 36th fighter plane has landed in India, according to an update from the Indian Air Force in a tweet. “After a brief en route drink from a UAE Air Force tanker, the final Rafale arrived in India. Thus signaling the completion of “The Pack.”
At the Air Force Station in Ambala, the first batch of five Rafale planes had landed in July 2020. According to a government announcement from the time, these are to be a member of the 17 Squadron. Which is also known as the “Golden Arrows,” had been brought back a year earlier. The IAF formally inducted these the next month. According to then-Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, “the Rafale purchase was a game changer for India’s national security. Its induction is a strong message for the world and especially for those who question India’s sovereignty.” The Rafale deal, is worth $9 billion, was signed to expand the IAF Fleet.
Below is the official tweet from the Indian Air Force:
IAF Gears up for Border Tensions with China:
The Indian Air Force’s Eastern Air Command will launch a significant two-day exercise on Thursday to evaluate its warfighting capabilities and strategies.
Despite being planned far earlier, the exercise takes place as tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have increased again following the battle between Indian Army and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) forces on December 9.
Following the IAF exercise, the Chinese have reportedly raised their level of readiness. They are also deploying airborne early-warning aircraft at their Shigatse airfield.
The IAF has previously been compelled to scramble fighter jets due to frequent Chinese exercises since their air defence systems and radars had detected the neighbor’s air presence near the LAC but within their own air space.
The next air drill, according to sources, will be at the command level and involve all resources.
Senior Air Force officers from China and India even had their first-ever discussions in August to ease tensions.
According to the agreement between India and China, no fighter aircraft or armed helicopter is permitted to approach the LAC within 10 kilometers. Helicopters used for logistics have a one-kilometer range limit.
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