India / Rafale fighter jet to take part in Air Force Day parade on Oct 8

New Delhi: The Rafale fighter jet is all set to mark its first appearance since its arrival on Indian land. The fighter jet will take part in the Air Force Day parade on October 8, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said on Saturday.

"The Rafale is a 4.5 generation, twin-engine omnirole, air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship and nuclear deterrence fighter aircraft, equipped with a wide range of weapons," the IAF tweeted on Saturday.

The combat aircraft was officially inducted into the IAF on September 10 in Ambala, Haryana. The first five Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft arrived at Air Force Station, Ambala from France on July 27, 2020. The French-origin fighter aircraft are part of the 17 Golden Arrows squadron of the Air Force.

The five Rafales which have arrived in the country include three single-seaters and two twin-seaters. The Rafales, armed with the air-to-air meteor, air to ground SCALP and hammer missiles, are expected to give an edge to the Indian Air Force over its traditional adversaries China and Pakistan in the South Asian skies due to its long-range hit capabilities.

Rafale fighter jet features

Rafale is a fourth-generation jet with both twin generation engines and Delta-wing. This fighter jet also carries semi-stealth capabilities that can execute nuclear attacks. 

The biggest feature of Rafale is Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile. The range of this is more than 150 kilometers. So, from within the Indian border Rafale can launch a missile attack 150 kilometers inside the Chinese or Pakistan border.