Five Rafales take off for India

The first batch of five Rafale jets flew out of France on Monday and will arrive in India on July 29.

The fighter jets will join the Indian Air Force base in Haryana's Ambala on Wednesday.

The fighter jets, built by French aviation firm Dassault, took off from the Merignac air base in southern France's Bordeaux .

The five aircraft will be the first portion of the 36 planes bought by India from France in a 59,000-crore rupees inter-governmental deal in 2016. The Rafale aircraft will cover a distance of nearly 7,000 km from France to India with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop at a French airbase in the United Arab Emirates.

Indian Embassy in France in a statement said, "Delivery of ten aircraft has been completed on schedule but five will stay back in France for training Mission. The delivery of all thirty six aircraft will be completed on schedule by the end of 2021.  Delivery of ten Rafale aircrafts have been completed on schedule. Five Rafales will stay back in France for a training mission. First Rafale fighter jet was handed over to India in October 2019".