‘"New Bird in Arsenal": 5 Rafales Joins Indian Air Force’

The first batch of five Rafale multirole fighter jets are formally inducted into the Indian Air Force at Ambala air base in Haryana, at a time when India is engaged in an escalating border row with China in eastern Ladakh.

• The Rafale jets, built by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, are known for air-superiority and precision strikes on ground targets, making them truly multirole jets.
• Speed: The state-of-the-art 5 Generation Rafale jet can reach almost double the speed of sound, with a top speed of 1.8 Mach.
• The Rafales (literally meaning "gust of wind", and "burst of fire" in a more military sense) are capable of carrying a range of potent weapons.
• European missile maker MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.
  • MBDA developed the Meteor to combat common threats facing the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden.
• The multirole French-made fighter jets will become a part of the IAF's 17 Squadron "Golden Arrows". 
• SCALP missile: The Rafale jets also come with SCALP, the air-to-ground cruise missile with a range over 300 km. It is a long-range deep strike missile.
• The MICA air-to-air missile on Rafale is for both, close-quarter dogfights, and for BVR.
• HAMMER: At the last-minute, India has also asked for HAMMER (Highly Agile and Manoeuvrable Munition Extended Range), which is an air-to-ground precision guided missile produced by French conglomerate Safran, and can be used against bunker-type hardened targets within the range of 70 km.
• India will only be the fourth country, after France, Egypt and Qatar, to fly the Rafale. 

Background

• The Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and the French Air Force in 2006.
• India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
• The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to buy 36 jets for ? 59,000 crore.
• A second batch of four-five Rafale jets is likely to arrive in India by November.

Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jet

• The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is the most advanced fighter jet in operation with the Indian Air Force and is the primary air to air and air to ground strike machine. 
• Su-30 MKI is built in India by HAL under license agreement with Russia’s Sukhoi.
• The Sukhoi Su-30MKI has a top speed of Mach 2 (2120 kmph) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 38,800 kg. 
• The jet can carry a wide range of equipment from radars to missiles, bombs and event rockets.
• Weapon carrying capacity: It is capable of carrying a variety of medium-range guided air to air missiles with active or semi-active radar or Infrared homing close range missiles.
• It can be used in carrying out nuclear strikes.
• The Su-30 MKI aircraft is capable of being refuelled by an Air to Air refuelling aircraft or by another Su-30 MKI aircraft carrying a buddy refuelling strap on pod.
• India's Su-30MKI multi-role fighter-bomber is one of the best 4 generation aircraft currently available.

How significant is the development?

• With its multi-role capabilities, including electronic warfare, air defence, ground support and in-depth strikes, the Rafale lends air superiority to the Indian Air Force.
• The MICA air-to-air missile on Rafale is for both, close-quarter dogfights, and for BVR. At the last-minute, India has also asked for HAMMER (Highly Agile and Manoeuvrable Munition Extended Range), which is an air-to-ground precision guided missile produced by French conglomerate Safran, and can be used against bunker-type hardened targets within the range of 70 km.