French-made, omnirole Rafale fighter jets were formally commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) on September 10. Rafales are the first major fighters to be inducted into the service since the Sukhoi-30 from Russia in 1997. 

The induction of Rafale — which literally means ‘gust of wind’, or ‘burst of fire’ in a more military sense — comes amid border standoff with China. 

India got five jets last month, while four more are expected to arrive by October. The complete delivery of 36 Rafale aircrafts is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

India finalised the order of 36 Rafale jets from France, with India-specific enhancements (ISE), at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore in September 2017.

The traditional water cannon salute was given before the ceremonial induction of Rafale jets to Golden Arrows 17 Squadron, Ambala—the oldest airbase of IAF.

The Ambala air base is key for the IAF. It houses two squadrons of the Jaguar fighters and one squadron of MiG-21 Bison. Hasimara in West Bengal will house the second Rafale squadron. 

The five jets, three single-seat and two twin-seater trainers, landed in India on July 29. The aircraft covered a distance of nearly 8,500 km from France to India, with a stopover in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Unique weapons package

Touted as an “omnirole” fighter, the Rafale can take up several missions during a single flight, including air-defence, air-superiority, anti-access and area-denial, recon, close-air support, dynamic targeting, air-to-ground precision strikes, anti-ship attacks, nuclear deterrence and buddy-to-buddy refuelling. The Rafale can reach almost twice the speed of sound with a top speed of 1.8 mach.

Its weapons package, radars and avionics make it a gamechanger in the region if pitted against China’s J-20 and Pakistan’s F-16. While the Rafale has already proven its combat potential in missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Mali, the J-20 has not experienced any combat mission so far.

Aiming to deploy the Rafale along the border with China, the IAF made a last-minute purchase of HAMMER (Highly Agile and Manoeuvrable Munition Extended Range) missiles to add to the fighter jet’s lethality. HAMMER is an air-to-ground precision missile that has a range of 60 km—perfectly suited for high-altitude operations.

The Rafale’s cold engine start capability allows it to be operated from high-altitude air bases including Leh. Its weapons package, provided by MBDA missile systems, is what makes it truly valuable — Meteor BVR air-to-air missiles, SCALP cruise missiles and MICA.

The Meteor missile is the Rafale’s most critical weapon. It is powered by a unique rocket-ramjet motor that gives it higher engine power with better longevity. It can fly faster, longer and can be manoeuvred better than any other missile, granting it the ability to chase down and destroy agile hostile fighters at the farthest of ranges. As a result, the Meteor has a no-escape zone many times greater than any other air-to-air missile.

SCALP deep-strike cruise missile, a stealth weapon, will strike hardened and protected targets deep within hostile territory — without the need for the Rafale to enter hostile airspaces. Its MICA missile is the only one in the world featuring two inter-operable seekers (active radar and imaging infrared), covering the spectrum from close-in dogfight to beyond visual range.

This article originally appeared in The Week.

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