29 of 36 Rafales Arrived in India
The IAF has ordered an unspecified number of French air-to-ground HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) missiles that will be outfitted on the country’s indigenous LCA Tejas fighter, Asian News International revealed.
The order for the missiles from France for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas was placed under the emergency procurement powers as was done for the same missiles to be equipped on the Rafales. Under a major order, a few hundred missiles would be added to the Indian Air Force’s arsenal.
The country currently operates two LCA squadrons (18 aircraft), and 73 more upgraded Tejas will be inducted over this decade. The capability of taking out enemy targets from such ranges would allow the indigenous planes to carry out Balakot-like airstrikes with more accuracy and precision. The missile will enable the Tejas to destroy bunkers or hardened shelters from a standoff range of 70 kilometres.
The missile’s acquisition is particularly significant in the midst of a border standoff between the Indian and the Chinese armies across the Ladakh border, where the terrain is mountainous, providing ample cover for troops. The HAMMER missiles from France will help in boosting IAF’s capabilities to take out targets in high-altitude areas, such as Eastern Ladakh.
Missile Features
The munition comes in missile and gliding bomb versions with a weight range of 125, 250, 500, and 1,000 kilograms (275, 551, 1,102, and 2,205 pounds). The weapon’s modular structure allows for the addition of navigational guidance options such as inertial navigation/Global Positioning System, infrared homing, or laser guidance.
France’s Dassault Rafale aircraft can carry six Hammers. The French military, which inducted the munition in 2008, has used it over Afghanistan, Libya, and Mali. Other Rafale customers Qatar and Egypt have also asked to outfit their aircraft with the munition. India also ordered the missiles for its Rafale fleet in July.
Three Rafales Arrive
Three more French-origin Rafale fighters touched down at the Jamnagar airbase in India, after mid-air refuelling by tankers of France and UAE, on 13 October.
The three new jets will add to the 26 such 4.5-generation fighters, which have a combat range of 780-km to 1,650-km without mid-air refuelling, already delivered to India.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will get all the 36 twin-engine Rafales, contracted under the Rs 59,000 crore deal inked with France in September 2016, in batches by early next year.
.The next consignment of three aircraft – the 30th, 31st and 32nd – will arrive in India by the first half of December, while the last three of the batch will join the operational squadrons by January 26.
The two Rafale squadrons, the 17 ‘Golden Arrows’ in Ambala and 101 ‘Falcons’ in Hasimara, are already operational and flying missions during the continuing 17-month-long military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh.
The omni-role Rafales are armed with long stand-off weapons like the over 300-km range ‘Scalp’ air-to-ground cruise missiles. The fighters are also equipped with the top-notch Meteor air-to-air missiles, which with a strike range of 120 to 150-km can outgun any missile that can currently be unleashed by Pakistani or Chinese jets.
