Rafale fighter jet receives water cannon salute at Hasimara Air Force base

Indian Air Force welcomed the 4.5-generation Rafale fighter jet with a water cannon salute in the induction ceremony at Hasimara Air Force station under Eastern Air Command.

The Indian Air Force has received the last Rafale fighter jet delivered to them by French aviation giant Dassault. IAF shared the news of welcoming the long-range fighter jet aircraft via their official Twitter handle and inducted the aircraft in its fleet without wasting time. For the welcoming ceremony, the fighter jet was given a water cannon salute at Air Force Station Hasimara under Eastern Air Command. The induction of the aircraft marks the completion of the delivery of the 36 fighter jets to India.


French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain said he is proud to see 36 Rafales with full equipment after all of the 'Rafales' landed on Indian soil. Lenain stated on Twitter, " Proud to see all 36 Rafales on India's soil and fully equipped with India-specific enhancements."

A UAE Air Force tanker refuelled the final Rafale via air-to-air refuelling for a faster flight between France and India. In order to modernise its fleet, the Indian Air Force purchased the French-made Dassault Rafale fighter jet. The Rafale joins the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000, and India-made TEJAS in strengthening the IAF's arsenal.

In September 2016, India ordered 36 Rafale aircraft from France, and the Indian Air Force established two Rafale squadrons. The first was in Haryana's Ambala, and the second was in West Bengal's Hasimara. While the former is designed to counter any attack from the west, the latter is designed to counter misadventures from the east.

Rafale is a 4.5-generation fighter jet that outperforms the SAAB Gripen, MiG-35, Typhoon, and F-16 among others. It was procured after a lengthy review by the Indian Air Force. The Rafale jets can carry a variety of powerful weapons, including MBDA's Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Scalp cruise missile, and MICA weapons system, which will be the mainstay of the Rafale jets' weapons package.

In the meantime, the Indian Air Force has been bringing the aircraft up to the highest standards and outfitting them with all the improvements made specifically for India. The aircraft with a serviceability rate of over 75% are also maintained by the French company Dassault Aviation.