'The Birds Have Landed Safely,' Rajnath Singh Tweets As Much Awaited Rafale Jets Make Landing In Ambala | Watch Historic Touchdown

The first five of the thirty-six Rafales which flew out from the Dassault Aviation's Merignac facility base in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday (July 27) have entered the Indian airspace.

New Delhi: The first five of the thirty-six Rafales which flew out from the Dassault Aviation's Merignac facility base in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday (July 27) have finally arrived in India flanked by two Sukhoi (Su-30MKIs). The best-in-class omni-role Rafale fighter jets touched down at the Indian Air Force's 'Golden Arrow' Squadron at Ambala and will shortly get inducted into IAF's No.17 squadron later in the day. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted to confirm the news of their landing. "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 aircrafts will revolutionise the capabilities of the IAF." he tweeted.

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 aircrafts will revolutionise the capabilities of the @IAF_MCC. — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 29, 2020

Defence Minister also shared the video of the historic landing on Twitter. Watch here: 

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

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 29, 2020

As the batch entered Indian airspace, it established contact with Indian navy warship. Here is  what they exchanged during the interaction: 

• INS Kolkata Delta63: Arrow leader (flying Rafale),welcome to Indian Ocean
• Rafale leader: Many thanks. Most reassuring to have an Indian warship guarding seas
• INS Kolkata: May you touch the sky with glory. Happy landings
• Rafale leader: Wish you fair winds. Happy hunting. Over&out.

The best-in-class omni-role Rafale fighter jets touched down at the Indian Air Force's 'Golden Arrow' Squadron at Ambala and will shortly get inducted into IAF's No.17 squadron later in the day. 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. Water salute to be given to the five Rafale fighter aircraft after their landing at Ambala airbase in Haryana today. Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria to be present at the airbase at that time. Chief of Air Staff RKS Bhadauria will receive the five Rafale fighter jets at Ambala on Wednesday afternoon when the fleet arrives at the strategically key airbase, senior IAF officials apprised of this development to news agency PTI. Reports say that a 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. On their way to India, the jets first made a stop at the Dhafra base in the United Arab Emirates on Monday night.fon Monday (July 27). 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. It has the latest weapons, superior sensors, and fully integrated architecture. Several defence experts and senior IAF officers have state that China's premier fighter jet Chengdu J-20A is no match to Rafale capabilities which has been seen in Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. The Rafale fighter aircraft will have HAMMER missiles. It will also be armed with beyond visual range missiles like Meteor, SCALP, and MICA, increasing their ability to take on incoming targets from a distance. The meteor missile in Rafale makes it far more potent than the J-20. The officer also explained that the Rafale engine is better in terms of reliability, longevity, and maintainability. The officer further pointed out that Rafale can lift loads up to 1.5 times its weight, which means it can carry weapons and fuel of far greater capacity than the J-20.