In a major boost for the Indian Air Force, India on Tuesday evening received three more Rafale fighter jets from France, government sources told ANI.
The aircraft that took off from the French airbase was assisted by and refuelled by the UAE Air Force and landed directly in India without any stop.
With the arrival of these 3, India now received 35 of the 36 Rafales for which it had signed the contract with France in Sept 2016, the government officials said.
Notably, IAF ferried over 30 of these aircraft flying directly without any halts.
The 36th aircraft will arrive in India from France after a few weeks, officials said.
The 36th Rafale would be delivered to India with a number of enhancements that would make it more lethal and capable.
The first batch of five Rafale jets had arrived in India on July 29 last year. India and France had signed the inter-government agreement in 2016, under which Paris agreed to provide 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of Rs 60,000 crore to New Delhi.
