Rafales practise night flying in Himachal to prepare for Ladakh

Indian Air Force’s Rafale combat jets are practising night flying in the mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh to prepare for any deterioration in the border situation between India and China, reported Hindustan Times. The first set of five Rafales had arrived in the nation on July 29 from France amid much fanfare, and are “fully operational”.

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These Rafales, which were inducted into the Ambala-based No. 17 Squadron, known as the Golden Arrows squadron, were among the 36 ordered by India. The rest will be delivered by the end of 2021. The first 18 fighter aircraft will be stationed at Ambala and the rest at Hashimara airbase near Bhutan border, the report quoted South Block officials as saying.

In an interview last month, former air chief BS Dhanoa had said Rafales would prove to be a “game changer” in case a battle happens between the two nations. The latest report said India’s top-of-the-line jets are keeping away from Line of Actual Control (LAC) to prevent their frequency signatures from being identified by China’s radars in Aksai Chin.

The Rafales are India’s first major acquisition of fighter jets in 23 years after Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Scalp cruise missile and MICA weapons system will be the mainstay of its weapons package.

Meanwhile, Indian and Chinese interlocutors, both military and diplomatic, are engaged in talks for complete disengagement in Eastern Ladakh. Senior army commanders of the two countries held extensive talks on Saturday in taking forward the disengagement process at a number of friction points including in Pangong Tso and Depsang in eastern Ladakh.

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