Rafale

Hasimara in West Bengal earlier had a MiG 27 Squadron that has now been decommissioned. It is a strategic base for Indian Air Force operations because of its proximity to Bhutan. The Chumbi Valley, where lies a tri-junction between India, Bhutan and China, is close to Doklam where a standoff took place in 2017. The tri-junction has been matter of concern for all the three nations.

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. Indian Rafales are equipped with specially adapted Hammer missiles.

Antony in a statement said, "The prima facie corruption in the Rafale deal is now apparent. The intriguing silence of Modi Government points towards mal-intent to hush up the corruption. The refusal of the BJP Government to probe and punish the guilty is even more astonishing, pointing towards a concerted effort to bury the scam."