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.
