During his visit, Rajnath had emblazoned the Rafale aircraft with an 'Om' and laid flowers, coconut and lemons to ward off the evil eye.
After Defense Minister Rajnath Singh received India's first Rafale fighter jet, 'RB 001', at the handing-over ceremony in France, Dassault Aviation released a series of five photos of Rafale 'RB 002' flying over different terrains on Wednesday.
The induction of Rafale fighter jets into the Indian Air Force will give a boost to India's air dominance exponentially, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday at the handing-over ceremony of the Rafale jet and added that the occasion signifies the depth of the strategic partnership between India and France.
"Our airforce is the fourth largest in the world and I believe that the Rafale medium multi-roll Combat aircraft will make us even stronger and give a boost to India's air dominance exponentially to ensure peace and security in the region," Singh said.
During his visit, Rajnath had emblazoned the Rafale aircraft with an 'Om' and laid flowers, coconut and lemons to ward off the evil eye.
The ceremony coincided with the foundation ceremony of the IAF.
The Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for 36 Rafale aircraft procurement was signed between the Government of India and Government of France on September 23, 2016.
In the photos posted by Dassault Aviation, the Rafale 'RB 002' fighter jet could be seen flying over sea, plains and forested area.
(With inputs from ANI)
1. What does 'RB' signify?
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The first aircraft with tail number RB-01 was received by a team of Indian Air Force officers led by Air Marshal VR Chaudhary in France who also flew in the plane for around one hour, Indian Air Force sources told ANI.
The tail number 'RB-01' has been named after Indian Air Force Chief-Designate Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria who had played a very important role in finalising the country's biggest-ever defence deal.
2. How many Rafale aircraft will IAF recieve?
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Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive a total of 36 Rafale jets consisting of eight twin-seaters and twenty-eight single-seaters.
3. Rajnath performed Shastra Puja on 'RB 001' fighter jet
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Defense Minister Rajnath Singh performed Shastra Puja on the first of the 36 Rafale jets he received after the official handing over ceremony in France.
Rajnath had emblazoned the Rafale aircraft with an 'Om' and laid flowers, coconut and lemons to ward off the evil eye.
4. Rajnath Singh flew a sortie
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After performing 'Shastra Puja', Rajnath Singh flew a sortie in the Rafale fighter jet, commanded by Dassault Aviation's head test pilot Philippe Duchateau.
