See First Photos Of Air Force's Rafale 002 Fighter Jet In The Air
Updated: October 09, 2019 18:31 IST
French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation today released pictures of the Rafale 002, a day after the first fighter jet was handed over to India. The Rafale jets bear the initials of Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Bhaduria - RB - who played a key role in securing the Rafale deal in 2016.
India got the formal delivery of the first of the 36 long-awaited Rafale fighter jets bought from the Dassault Aviation in France on Tuesday
"It is a historic day and shows deepening ties between India and France," defence minister Rajnath Singh had said at the handover ceremony
The handover ceremony took place on Wednesday at a facility of Dassault Aviation, the makers of the aircraft, in the Merignac area of Bordeaux, around 590 km from Paris
Defence Minister sat in the rear cockpit while a French pilot flew the customised aircraft with tail number RB-01
The first batch of four Rafale jets -- part of the Rs. 59,000-crore deal made in September 2016 -- are expected to arrive in India in May next year
