IAF receives first of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft purchased from France
Current Affairs The Indian Air Force on Tuesday received its first Rafale fighter jet from a series of 36 aircraft purchased from France in presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in Merignac, France.
Singh attended the handover ceremony of the first Rafale fighter jet acquired by the IAF along with his French counterpart Florence Parly at aircraft maker Dassault Aviation facility in Merignac, southwestern France. "Rafale will boost India's air dominance exponentially," Singh said after receiving the aircraft.
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Singh, who earlier held wide-ranging talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, said his visit was aimed at "expanding the strategic partnership" between India and France.
After the talks, Singh travelled to Merignac, a suburb of the south-western French town of Bordeaux, where participated in a tour of the facility of Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation before a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first Rafale combat jet...Read more.