The gentleman strapping in Rajnath Singh into the cockpit of the Rafale is Group Captain Harkirat Singh, the first CO of the No.17 ‘Golden Arrows’ Squadron that will be equipped with the Rafale. Formerly a MiG-21 Bison pilot.

Wing Cmdr Abhinandan leads formation during Air Force Day flypast

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Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was awarded the Vir Chakra for shooting down a much more advanced Pakistani F-16 before his MiG-21 was downed on February 27, led a MiG-21 Bison fighter formation at the flypast to a widely cheering crowd at the Hindon airbase.

Three Mirage-2000 fighters, flanked by two larger Sukhoi-30MKI multi-role jets, then flew the ‘Avenger’ formation to equally huge applause. Interestingly, the two Sukhois were piloted by Wing Commander K P Singh and Squadron Leader Parshuram, who also flew the fighters during the skirmish between the Indian and Pakistani fighters along the LoC.
This, in effect, demolished Pakistan’s claim of having shot down a Sukhoi on that day. To rub it in further, the Mirage-2000s during the flypast were piloted by Group Captain Pranav Raj and Wing Commanders Pankaj Arvind Bhujade and Rahul Basoya, who were awarded the Vayu Sena Medals for successfully striking the JeM facility with Spice-2000 penetration bombs in the early hours of Februrary 26.

The IAF chief also awarded unit citations to the Srinagar-based No 51 Squadron of Wing Commander Varthaman and the Gwalior-based No 9 ‘Wolfpack” Squadron of Mirage-2000s.

The 601 Signals Unit of Squadron Leader Minty Aggarwal, who as a ground-based flight controller showed exceptional alertness to vector the the IAF fighters scrambled to intercept the “strike package” of intruding Pakistani jets on February 27, also received a unit citation. Squadron Leader Aggarwal has been awarded a Yudh Seva Medal for “distinguished services” during wartime.

Dassault delivers first Rafale to IAF

New Delhi has taken delivery of its first four Dassault Rafales, completing a decades-long odyssey to obtain a new fighter for the Indian air force

The jets were handed over to Indian defence minister Raksha Mantri at a ceremony held at Dassault’s Merignac production line near Bordeaux in southwest France.

Part of a 36-unit order placed by the government of Narendra Modi in 2016, the off-the-shelf acquisition of the Rafales was not without controversy, coming shortly after the cancellation of the long-running Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contest.

In 2018, then Air Chief Marshall BS Dhanoa described the 2016 decision to obtain the 36 aircraft as an “emergency buy” to shore up India’s falling number of fighter units: the nation has 33 combat squadrons against an authorised strength of 42.5.

Though the Rafale was also the winner of the 126-aircraft MMRCA competition, this deal collapsed despite three years of negotiations, with stumbling blocks including disagreements over production, intellectual property, and whether Dassault or Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), which was to build 108 examples locally, would be responsible for the quality of India-assembled jets.

Under offset commitments related to the latest deal, the French manufacturer has established a joint venture in India – Dassault Reliance Aerospace – which will manufacture several components for the Falcon 2000 business jet.

“I am particularly honored to host this ceremony today as India is part of Dassault Aviation’s DNA. The long and trustful relationship we share is an undeniable success and underpins my determination of establishing for the long-term Dassault Aviation in India.

“We stand alongside the Indian air force since 1953, we are totally committed to fulfill its requirements for the decades to come and to be part of India’s ambitious vision for the future,” says Eric Trappier, Dassault chief executive.

Though the 36 Rafales give a boost to the Indian air force, the need for modernisation is as urgent as ever: in early 2018, the defence ministry issued a request for information (RFI) for 110 new fighters, essentially a reboot of MMRCA, with local production again a major element.

Interested parties are Lockheed Martin with the F-16V (rebadged as the F-21 for the competition), the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Saab Gripen E/F, and Eurofighter Typhoon. There is also separate 57-aircraft requirement for a carrier-borne fighter.

In addition, New Delhi continues work on indigenous programmes such as the HAL Tejas and the low-observable Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft.