Five Rafale jets land in Ambala, to be inducted into Indian Air Force’s ‘Golden Arrows’

The first batch of five Rafale jets landed at the Ambala air base on Wednesday afternoon. The jets covered a distance of 7,000 km after taking off from the Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday. The long journey also included air-to-air refuelling and a single stop in the United Arab Emirates.

Soon after taking off from the UAE, the Rafale contingent established contact with Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata, deployed in the Western Arabian Sea, news agency ANI reported.

The fleet of five jets comprises three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft. The jets will be inducted into the IAF as part of its No 17 Squadron, also known as the ‘Golden Arrows’.

Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders near the Ambala Air Force Station, banning shooting of videos and photography.

Section 144, which prohibits assembly of four or more people, has been imposed in the villages adjoining the air base, including Dhulkot, Baldev Nagar, Garnala and Panjkhora.

The five fighter jets are the first batch of the 36 aircraft that India has procured for Rs 59,000 crore. The Indian Air Force pilots and supporting personnel were provided full training on aircraft and weapon systems by Dassault.