'No Bigger Virtue Than Securing Nation': PM Modi Welcomes Rafale Fighter Jets With Tweet In Sanskrit

The five Rafale jets which flew out from the Dassault Aviation's Merignac facility base in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday, will shortly get inducted into IAF's No.17 squadron later in the day.

PM Modi took to Twitter and shared a video of the Rafale jets making a landing at the Ambala air base. (Photos: PTI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed the first five of the thirty-six Rafales touched down at the Indian Air Force's 'Golden Arrow' Squadron at Ambala.  Expressing his gratitude over the arrival of best-in-class omni-role Rafale fighter jets, PM Modi took to his official Twitter handle and shared a video of the Rafale jets making a landing at the Ambala air base. Along the video, Prime Minister posted: There is no bigger virtue than securing the nation; there is no bigger fast than securing the nation; there is no bigger work than securing the nation. Welcome Rafale In India.

राष्ट्ररक्षासमं पुण्यं, राष्ट्ररक्षासमं व्रतम्, राष्ट्ररक्षासमं यज्ञो, दृष्टो नैव च नैव च।। नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम्... स्वागतम्! #RafaleInIndia pic.twitter.com/lSrNoJYqZO

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 29, 2020

Earlier, the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed the news of the landing of French fighter jets saying, "The Birds have landed safely in Ambala. The touch down of Rafale combat aircrafts in India marks the beginning of a new era in our Military History. These multirole aircraft will revolutionise the capabilities of the IAF. As per the reports, the five Rafale jets which flew out from the Dassault Aviation's Merignac facility base in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday, will shortly get inducted into IAF's No.17 squadron later in the day. Water salute will be given to the five Rafale fighter aircraft at Ambala airbase in Haryana today. Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria to be present at the airbase at that time. The formal induction ceremony will be held around mid-August which is expected to be attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the top military brass of the country.

The Touchdown of Rafale at Ambala. pic.twitter.com/e3OFQa1bZY

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 29, 2020

In 2016, the defence ministry signed a whopping Rs 59,000-crore deal on Sept 23, for 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. The fleet comprises three single-seater- and two twin-seater- aircraft. The Rafale fighter aircraft will have HAMMER missiles, along with beyond visual range missiles like Meteor, SCALP, and MICA, increasing their ability to take on incoming targets from a distance. These are the first 4.5 generation aircraft to get inducted into Indian Air Force's strike Arsenal and the IAF's No.17 Squadron will be the first-ever IAF squadron to induct these fighter jets. Several defence experts and senior IAF officers have claimed that China's premier fighter jet Chengdu J-20A is no match to Rafale capabilities which has been seen in Afghanistan, Libya and Syria.