'Welcome to India, boys': Netizens flood Twitter with greetings as Rafale jets make radio contact with Indian Navy

The first batch of five Rafale jets will land in India, specifically at Haryana's Ambala, today (i.e. Wednesday, July 29). The jets are being flown to Ambala airbase by Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots. As India awaits the Rafale Landing, it was reported that the five aircraft have established contact with the Indian Navy in the Western Arabian Sea.

"#HEAR: Indian #Rafale contingent establishes contact with Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata deployed in Western Arabian Sea," news agency ANI reported

Soon after taking off from the UAE, Indian #Rafale contingent established contact with Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata, deployed in the Western Arabian Sea. pic.twitter.com/I5hePYGbpp

— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2020

Twitter was flooded with greetings and messages welcoming the contingent of the Rafale aircraft.

Welcome home Boys!

— Rahul Shashwat (@rahul_shashwat) July 29, 2020

After So Many years of hectic negotiations and production, Welcome Home, Rafale!

— Yash Patel (@iyashpatell) July 29, 2020

The Indian Rafales took off from Al Dhafra in UAE at around 11 AM IST and is expected to land in Ambala by 2 PM.

The first five Rafale fighter aircraft arriving today are flown by pilots of the 17 Golden Arrows led by Commanding Officer Group Captain Harkirat Singh along with other pilots, Wing Commanders MK Singh, R Kataria, Sidhu, and Arun. Harkirat Singh is also likely to be the first pilot to touchdown at the base in Ambala.

The delivery of the aircraft was earlier supposed to have been done by May end but was postponed by two months in view of the COVID-19 situation in both India and France.

The aircraft on their way from France to India were refueled by a French Air Force tanker aircraft in the air around Israel or Greece before they made a stopover in the Middle East.

India had signed a deal worth over Rs 60,000 crore with France in September 2016 for 36 Rafales to meet the emergency requirements of the IAF.

(With agency inputs)