Image – from the net
Ambala, Hasimara IAF bases being readied for
Rafale jets
The Indian Air Force has initiated major
infrastructure upgrade at its frontline base in Ambala for deployment of the
first squadron of the Rafale jets
Ambala: The
Indian Air Force has initiated major infrastructure upgrade at its frontline
base in Ambala for deployment of the first squadron of the Rafale jets which
will give India greater “potency” over Pakistan as these will be capable of
carrying nuclear weapons and other missiles.
The government has already sanctioned Rs220 crore to set
up 14 shelters, hangers and maintenance facilities at the 78- year-old base for
the Rafale jets whose delivery is scheduled to begin from September 2019, a
senior IAF official said. “We are creating infrastructure keeping in mind
infrastructure requirement for the Rafale jets for next 40-50 years,” the official
said on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to media.
The Ambala base is considered one of the most
strategically located bases of the IAF as the Indo-Pak border is around 220 km
from it. Currently, the base has two squadrons of the Jaguar combat aircraft
and one squadron of the MiG-21 Bison.
Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh, who passed away two weeks
ago, was the first commander of the Ambala base in independent India.
Several teams from French defence major Dassault
Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, have already visited the Ambala air force
base and finalised the requirement for the first squadron of combat jets. The
IAF is also carrying out infrastructure upgrade at its Hasimara base in West
Bengal which will house the second squadron of the Rafale jets, the official
said.
In September last year, India had signed a €7.87 billion
(approx Rs59,000 crore) deal with the French government for purchase of 36
Rafale fighter jets. Eighteen Rafale jets will be deployed in Ambala while an
equal number of the new generation jet will be stationed in Hasimara.
“We are planning to put in place all required
infrastructure for Rafale squadron by end of next year,” said the IAF official.
The Ambala as well as Hasimara stations will also have simulator-based training
facilities for the air crew of Rafale jets.
The IAF has already selected a batch of pilots to fly the
jets and they are being given training by Dassault Aviation in France. The
Rafale squadron to be deployed in Ambala will be known as Golden Arrows which
was originally based in Bhatinda and was disbanded two years ago.
The Rafale combat jets will come with various India-
specific modifications including Israeli helmet mounted displays, radar warning
receivers, low band jammers, 10 hour flight data recording and infra-red search
and tracking systems among others.
The features that make the Rafale a strategic weapon in
the hands of IAF, which is currently down to 34 squadrons as against a
sanctioned strength of 44, includes its Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Meteor
air-to-air missile with a range of 150 KM. Its integration on the Rafale jets
will mean IAF can hit targets inside both Pakistan and across the northern and
eastern borders while staying within India’s territorial boundary.
First Published: Sun, Oct 01 2017. 01 02
PM IST
Original post: livemint.com
"The Rafale combat jets will come with various India- specific modifications including Israeli helmet mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low band jammers, 10 hour flight data recording and infra-red search and tracking systems among others."
Ambala base
Related post:
Dassault Rafale: Details
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