Rafale programme on schedule, first fighter jet delivery in September: IAF

As part of change in the current operational structure, the Indian Air Force will deploy Rafale squadrons at Haryana’s Ambala and West Bengal’s Hashimpura bases respectively.

Indian Air Force confirms Rafale programme on schedule, first fighter jet delivery in September

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing controversy over Rafale fighter jet deal which has sparked off a heated political war between the Congress and BJP, the Indian Air Force came out with an announcement on Tuesday that the combat jet programme is ‘on schedule’ and that the first Rafale fighter jet will be delivered in September later this year. “The delivery will take place in France and the aircraft would be brought back to India,” an air force official was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Earlier report suggest that the Indian Air Force plans to deploy Rafale fighter jets at strategic air bases near Pakistan and China. As part of change in the current operational structure, the Indian Air Force will deploy Rafale squadrons at Haryana’s Ambala and West Bengal’s Hashimpura bases respectively. At present, the number 3 ‘Cobra’ squadron of MiG-21 Bison fighter jets has been deployed in Ambala since 1997. But once the Rafale jets get commissioned into the fighter base over the next two years, the ‘Cobra’ squadron will be shifted to Rajasthan’s Nal air base. The air force has almost completed the shifting process soon Ambala skies won’t see the famous MiG-21 fighter jets. The air force has also confirmed the development. The Indian Air Force is in a dire need to replace its old and obsolete fighter jets which have resulted in inflicting many casualties to fighter pilots during training sorties. The IAF would enhance to boost its combat readiness and ariel strike capability by inducting the ready to fly Rafales in their squadrons. The strategic deployment will help India in protecting her Western and Eastern air space. With Pakistan in the West and China in the East, the Rafale deployment will help India in achieving a formidable position. To protect its skies, India has so far been relying on the Sukhoi-30MKIs. However, the Indian Air Force regards Rafale higher than the current lot of fighter jets. Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday came out strongly in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by rejecting a newspaper report, which claimed that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) allegedly ran a parallel negotiation on the Rafale fighter jet deal with France alongside the Defence Ministry. Speaking in Lok Sabha over the issue, Sitharaman called the report ''motivated'' and accused the Congress of blowing the matter out of proportion ''The then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar ji had replied to that MoD note. He had said that remain calm, nothing to worry, everything is going all right. Now, what do you call the NAC led by Sonia Gandhi's interference in earlier PMO? What was that?'' Sitharaman asked.

 Rubbishing the report on the PMO interference on Rafale deal, the Defence Minister said, ''it is like flogging a dead horse.'' and accused the opposition of playing into the hands of multinational companies and foreign interests.