India inducted five Rafale aircraft at Ambala Air Force base. Credit: Aksveer.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has formally inducted the first five Rafale multirole aircraft at Ambala Air Force Station, India.

The Rafale multirole jets will be part of the ‘Golden Arrows’ 17 Squadron.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

In September 2016, India signed a contract with France for 36 Rafales for the IAF. The jets are expected to be delivered by April 2022.

Of the 36 jets, six will be trainers while the remaining 30 will be fighter jets. The second base of the Rafale jets will be in Hasimara in West Bengal.

In July, five IAF Rafale aircraft left Dassault Aviation Mérignac facility in France and were received by Ambala Air Force Station.

Chief guests for the ceremony were Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of the Armed Forces of France Florence Parly.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The ceremony was also attended by delegates from India’s defence research arm DRDO, IAF, Dassault Aviation and French Ambassador among others.

Singh tweeted: “Rafale, with its multi-role capabilities, can perform a variety of tasks, including air superiority missions and precision strikes against enemies.

“I am confident that the capabilities and technological edge acquired with Rafale induction will revolutionise the IAF capabilities.”

During the ceremony, a Rafale fighter jet flew over the airbase. Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKIs also participated in the flight with Rafale.

The second batch of the Rafale multirole jets is expected to arrive in India in November.

In July, IAF planned to discuss the role of Rafale fighters, focusing on the ongoing border clashes of the Indian Army with Chinese Forces, at its commanders’ conference in New Delhi.