Rafale: Game-changing fighter jets for India’s air defence

Dubai: India’s air-defence preparedness and firepower are all set to undergo a massive upgrade with the induction of the Rafale fighter jets. On Monday, July 27, the first batch of five planes took off from Istres in France to Ambala in India — where the first squadron of Rafales will be based. The first set of five planes will be inducted at Air Force Station Ambala on July 29.

While the delivery of the first batch of planes has been delayed by about nine months, according to sources in India’s Defence Ministry, every effort is now being made to speed up the process. In the coming months, two to three planes are expected to join the base in Ambala every month and the entire order book of 36 of these advanced fighter jets is scheduled to complete the squadron — which will be called Golden Arrows – by early 2022.

According to sources in New Delhi, Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots will be flying these highly sophisticated fighter planes from Istres in France with just one stop-over: At the Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi. The planes will be refuelled midair, during the flight, by a French Air Force air tanker.

Gulf News explores the importance of the induction of these fighter planes into IAF:

As a strategic asset, why is the Rafale so important?

With India’s relationship with China taking a rather tenuous turn in the last few months over territorial disputes in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control, the induction of the Rafale fighter jets, manufactured by Dassault Aviation in France, couldn’t perhaps have been better timed — from New Delhi’s perspective — notwithstanding the delay in the delivery schedule. One of the major reasons behind the purchase of these planes was to give India enough fire-power and air-defence capability in the eventuality of a two-pronged attack from its eastern as well as western frontiers.

The IAF is already hobbled to some extent by a bit of logistical nightmare. It is still 12 short of its full strength of 42 squadrons. Added to this are two other factors as well. Firstly, India’s indigenously developed fighter Tejas is still not a tried and tested beast in a war scenario. According to some defence analysts, Tejas has yet to be put through those absolute final stages of checks and quality-control parameters before it can be considered as a combat-ready option. Secondly, after much thought and deliberation, only very recently India’s Defence Ministry decided to go ahead with its procurement of a single-engine multi-role fighter plane, the order book for which may well go up to 122 planes. Lockheed-Martin, Saab, Boeing and the Eurofighter are all gunning to have their hands on that pie, tying up with various Indian companies such as Tata and Mahindra to form joint-ventures (JV) that would ensure that 100 per cent of the product is made in India. But time is of the essence here and it will definitely take a while before the first plane rolls out as a result of this JV. With Beijing turning up the heat along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, the need for a fighter aircraft as advanced and versatile as the Rafale was never felt with such urgency before.

What is the Rafale’s air-defence and strike capability?

The Rafale comes with a highly advanced and futuristic weapons system that is all set to give IAF a major shot in the arm when it comes to both long-distance as well as short-range strike capability. These planes come equipped with three major missile systems, namely Meteor, Mica and Scalp. Each of these missile systems pack an enormous amount of punch to be able to position the Rafale as India’s major air-attack and defence asset for any future eventuality.

Meteor: This is a beyond visual range (BVR), air-to-air missile system. This has a range in excess of 120km. In aerial combat, the Meteor gives the Rafale the edge in striking at an enemy aircraft from beyond the range of the enemy’s missiles.

Mica: This is a shorter-range missile system for air-to-air combat. According to MBDA, the French firm that has manufactured this missile system, it is the only one of its kind that is powered by active radar and infrared imaging. This missile can prove to be an effective weapon in close aerial combat.

Scalp: This is a deep-strike cruise missile that has the capability to strike at protected targets deep inside enemy territory. This enables a Rafale to fire this missile without having to actually enter a heavily-protected area inside enemy territory. This missile system has multiple detonation modes that can cause massive damage to the target, even if it is placed in an area that is heavily protected by an air-defence missile shield.

How long will it take for IAF to have a full squadron of Rafales?

The first Rafale squadron will be called Number 17 and will be based in Ambala. According to the IAF, a full-fledged inauguration will take place in August. While the first five planes are scheduled to land in India on Monday, there will be continuous additions to the fleet with two to three aircraft joining the fleet every month over the next few months. The first squadron will take roughly 90 days to be operational. The first set of Rafales will be ready for combat operations by end-October. And by late 2022, the two full squadrons of Rafales will be combat-ready.

What is the significance of the two squadrons in terms of location?

The two Rafale squadrons will be located in Ambala in Haryana and Hashimara in West Bengal. Strategically, both these air bases are very crucial in terms of their locational advantage. While Ambala, under the Western Air Command, is by and large equidistant from the Pakistan and China borders, Hashimara is very close to the Shillong-based Eastern Air Command. Hashimara Air Force Station is responsible for providing defence cover to what is technically known as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’ — that narrow stretch of land that connects the entire northeastern part of India to the mainland. Given the strategic nature of this land mass, it’s vulnerability to any attack from China cannot be ruled out at all in a war-scenario.

Now, in the scenario of any exigency at the border with Pakistan on the western front or along the Line of Control in Kashmir, or if there is any sign of aggression from China on the eastern front, then the two squadrons of Rafales stationed in Ambala and Hashimara will come in extremely handy. In a matter of just a few minutes, Rafales can be scrambled from either Ambala or Hashimara, or both bases if required, even if there is a two-pronged attack on Indian territory.

What was the controversy surrounding the purchase of Rafales?

In September 2016, the Narendra Modi-led Indian government had signed a deal with Dassault Aviation for 36 Rafale fighter planes for a cost of 7.8 billion euros (Dh33.3 billion). In November 2017, India’s principal Opposition Congress party alleged that a “huge scam” had taken place over the Rafale deal. The Central Government was accused of promoting crony capitalism and furthering the interest of friendly business houses in India, depriving public sector enterprise Hindusthan Aeronautics Limited.

The clause of technology transfer proved to be a major point of controversy surrounding this deal. Congress alleged that the deal signed with Dassault did not cater to the technology transfer clause with transparency, thereby causing “insurmountable” loss to the national exchequer. The deal for Rafale had a 50 per cent offset clause, a major portion of which was to be executed by private sector company Reliance Defence.

The matter finally went to the Supreme Court, which declined to go back on its December 14, 2018, verdict — thereby rejecting the plea seeking a probe into the deal.