New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today received the first of the 36 long-awaited Rafale fighter jets on behalf of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Speaking at the event, Defence Minister termed the developments as "historic" and said that it will go a long way in strengthening strategic-ties between India and France. This is a new milestone in bilateral ties, said Rajnath Singh.


India had signed an agreement with France for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of Rs. 59,000 crore in SEptember 2016. 

The fighters — to be armed with the SCALP ground attack missiles that have a range well over 300 km — will be flown by IAF pilots in France for at least 1,500 hours as part of the testing and acceptance process before they come to their home base in Ambala. The first batch of four combat jets is expected to be ferried to India by May.

The Rafale jets intended for India are expected to come with certain bespoke modifications for the IAF and have been awaited as a crucial enhancement to India's Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft fleet.

The first Rafale jet will come with tail number RB 001, with RB denoting the initials of Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Bhadauria who played a key role in striking the deal for the jets in his previous role as IAF deputy chief.

Commenting on the positives of this- receiving Rafale from France, Singh said it will enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force and lay a global blueprint for successful defence cooperation between two responsible states. He also thanked the French state for providing support and training to Indian Air force pilots.