In a major boost to the Indian Air Force (IAF), France will deliver all 36 Rafale fighter jets to India by January 2022, according to a report by Hindustan Times.
The IAF will get 35 omni-role Rafale aircraft by the end of 2021 while the last fighter jet will make a solo flight to the soon-to-be-activated Hashimara air base in north Bengal in January 2022.
Twenty-six fighter jets have already been delivered, with 24 landing in India and two remaining in France for IAF pilot and for the purpose of technician training.
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Due to high altitude targets, rugged terrain, and China's recent acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems, Indian Rafales are equipped with specially adapted Hammer missiles. In reality, the French have volunteered to work with India to create longer-range, heavier-payload Hammer and Meteor missiles.
The Hammer missile, which India purchased as part of an emergency buy, can be launched from a height of 500 feet and attack a high-altitude target more than 70 kilometres distant. The missile follows the terrain's contours and climbs to a height of nearly 4000 metres before impacting the target from above in a top-down attack.
Rafale's introduction into the western and eastern theatres has significantly increased India's war-fighting capabilities, as the French fighter is equipped with the subcontinent's longest-range air-to-air Meteor missile, Hammer air-to-ground smart munition, and long-range SCALP air-to-ground weapon.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy have expressed strong interest in the Rafale platform due to its weight-to-power ratio and maritime attack capabilities, as well as the reliability of vital ally France. According to reports, the IAF plans to buy another 36 Rafales in the future, while the Navy is considering the Rafale-M as a fighter option for the INS Vikrant, which will be commissioned next year.
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While the French Rafale warplanes are being delivered ahead of schedule, all eyes are on the activation of the Hashimara air base, which will house the second squadron of Rafale fighters, with the first squadron remaining in Ambala. Rafale's presence in India's eastern sector will bolster the country's military reaction in the region, which includes Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Hashimara's position allows it to cover the Chumbi Valley, Sikkim, and the critical Siliguri region. Rafale aircraft with nuclear capability will fly all across India and its littoral regions, having home bases in both Ambala and Hashimara.
