Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh will officially induct the first batch of Rafale
aircraft into the Indian Air Force at the Ambala air base on September 10, news
Agency ANI reported. French Defence Minister Florence Parly has also been
invited for the event.

Having arrived
in India on July 29, the five fighter jets are the first of the 36, that India will
receive from French firm Dassault Aviation, in the country’s largest-ever
defence deal, worth over Rs 60,000 crore.

Also Read: As India welcomes Rafale, here are the other fighter jets in IAF’s arsenal

The jets
had started intensive training with the air force within 24 hours of its arrival and have flown extensively over Ladakh, although the IAF said they will be inducted after a formal ceremony.

The jets,
including three single seated and two twin-seated aircraft, are armed with an
array of missiles, including Meteor, MICA, SCALP and Hammer Missiles, to engage
both aerial and ground targets.

The Rafale
jets covered over 7,000 kilometres after taking off from the Mrignac airbase in
the French port city of Bordeaux on July 27. The journey included air-to-air refueling
and a solitary stop in the United Arab Emirates.

The squadron
the established contact with the Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata, deployed in
the Western Arabian Sea. They will be a part of the IAF’s Golden Arrow squadron.