Fourth batch of three Rafale fighter jets land in India: Indian Air Force

The 4th batch of three IAF Rafales landed on Indian soil after a direct ferry from Istres Air Base France, informed the Indian Air Force on Wednesday.

"The 4th batch of three IAF #Rafales landed on Indian soil after a direct ferry from #IstresAirBase France," the IAF tweeted.

"Rafales were refuelled in-flight by UAE Air Force tankers. This marks yet another milestone in the strong relationship between the two Air Forces. Thank You UAE AF," the air force tweeted.

Another batch of Rafale fighter jets have taken off on a non-stop flight to India with mid-air refuelling by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Indian Embassy in France said on Wednesday.

According to Indian Air Force officials, three Rafale fighter aircraft which took off from France for India were scheduled to land at the Jamnagar airbase.

On Tuesday, Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India, had said that five extra Rafale jets will be ferried to India by the end of April. These would be other than the three Rafales which arrived on Wednesday.

The aircraft had started joining the IAF fleet in the July-August timeframe last year and were quickly operationalised by the Air Force in the shortest possible time. The aircraft had also been deployed for patrolling along the China front in eastern Ladakh and other fronts during the height of the China confrontation.

The planes equipped with the Hammer missiles have enhanced their capability to carry out air-to-ground strikes like the one in Balakot.