The first five Rafale fighter jets bought from France in a multi-billion-dollar deal landed in India on Wednesday and the defense minister used …
The first five Rafale fighter jets bought from France in a multi-billion-dollar deal landed in India on Wednesday and the defense minister used their arrival to launch a veiled warning to neighboring China over territorial tensions. A water-cannon guard of honor greeted the five jets when they landed at the Ambala airbase in Haryana state. An intense nationwide spotlight on the combat jets has been sharpened by a deadly border standoff with China. India has bought 36 Rafale fighters from France in a deal estimated to be worth $9.4 billion. All are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2021. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the combat jets’ arrival marked “the beginning of a new era in our military history”. The jets will make the Indian Air Force “much stronger to deter any threat that may be posed on our country”, he added in a series of tweets.
