Image Source : PTI Rafales’ second squadron at Hasimara to counter threats from China
The Indian Air Force plans to boost its second squadron of Rafale fighter jets at Hasimara Air Force base in West Bengal by subsequent month to counter threats from China. Hasimara is a strategic base for IAF operations due to its proximity to Bhutan, the Chumbi Valley the place lies a tri-junction between India, Bhutan, and China, and Doklam the place a standoff passed off in 2017. The tri-junction has been a matter of concern for all three nations.
“Second Rafale Squadron is being raised at the next Main Operating Base (MOB) Hasimara in mid-April this year,” stated an Indian Air Force official.
The first squadron was raised in Ambala after the primary batch of 5 Rafale plane landed on July 29, 2020. These plane have been inducted on September 10 at Ambala Air Base into the 17 ‘Golden Arrows’ Squadron.
The Indian Air Force has obtained 11 jets until now out of the 36 ordered from France. Six extra jets are anticipated to be delivered in a month. The remaining plane are more likely to be in India by April 2022. Currently, IAF pilots are being skilled in France.
The two squadrons of Rafale jets will add wings to the IAF’s depleting fleet energy.
The two squadrons with 18 jets every at Ambala and Hasimara have been deliberate preserving in thoughts the operations towards Pakistan on the western entrance and China on the jap sector.
Hasimara earlier had a MiG-27 squadron that has now been decommissioned.
India had inked an inter-governmental settlement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a price of round Rs 58,000 crore.
A 4.5 era plane with the newest weapons, superior sensors, and totally built-in structure, Rafale is an Omni-role plane which implies it may perform at the very least 4 missions in a single sortie.
Armed with Hammer missiles, it is going to even have past visible vary missiles like Meteor, Scalp, and Mica, rising their capability to tackle incoming targets from a distance.
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