Here’s the first Indian Rafale at Mérignac.
Indian Air Force is meant to obtain 4 further Rafale fighter jets by May 2020.
- Information18.com
- Last Updated: March 20, 2020, 10:37 PM IST
As France goes underneath lockdown amidst Coronavirus scare, the manufacturing of Rafale fighter jet has been halted by Dassault Aviation on the firm’s manufacturing facility. While this may create a backlog for the jet producer, IAF says they’re assured to obtain the batch of 4 fighter jets by May 2020. As per ANI, an Indian Air Force supply has stated that till the manufacturing lockdown is extended, Dassault will ship its first batch by May this yr.
“The work in Dassault Aviation facility producing Rafale fighter jets for India has been stopped till March 31 in view of the measures taken by the French government to tackle Covid-19. Indian Air Force personnel are training at six different places in France,” stated supply.
“There will be no effect on the arrival of the first batch of these fighters in India in May this year. The future deliveries can get affected only if the COVID-19 issue gets prolonged for a longer period. India has already received India-specific Rafale combat jets on which our pilots are training,” they added.
IAF ordered 36 items of the multi function fighter jets from Dassault after assessing a number of jets in a multi billion greenback deal. India has already obtained three fighter jets, with 1st jet being handed over on the firms plant in France and is awaiting for 11 different fighter jets in 2020. The first four of which had been supposed to succeed in India in May.
The fifth gen fighter jet will improve the air superiority of the IAF and shall be despatched to India in a batch of 11 for subsequent three years,
This post was last modified on March 21, 2020 2:34 am