Rafale fighter jet
- The Rafale aircraft, manufactured by France’s Dassault Aviation, was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force in September 2020.
- Currently, 36 aircraft are in operation, and the Air Force has proposed to purchase 114 more aircraft.
- Meanwhile, India and France finalized a deal in April to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets for use on the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant for Rs. 64,000 crore.
- President Murmu flew a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet at the Air Force Station in Tezpur, Assam, on April 8, 2023.
- It is noteworthy that former Presidents Abdul Kalam (2006) and Pratibha Patil (2009) have previously flown in the Sukhoi 30 fighter aircraft.
