Rafale

The Indian Air Force (IAF) operationalised its second Rafale fighter squadron by formally inducting jets into the No. 101 Squadron at Air Force Station Hasimara in West Bengal.

The Rafale is a twin-jet fighter that can operate from either an aircraft carrier or a land base.
The Rafale is a multi-mission fighter that can perform air dominance, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike, and nuclear deterrence tasks.
Rafale fighters are “omnirole” fighters that can perform numerous mission types at the same time.
The Rafale jets will constitute a significant addition to India’s MMCA (Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft) fleet.
The most significant benefit of the Rafale is its ability to deliver nuclear missiles.

The Meteor is the game-changing missile aboard the Rafale.
The Meteor is a very long-range rocket and ram-jet powered air-to-air missile developed by the European company MBDA.
With a range of nearly 120 kilometres, its inclusion with the Rafale armament system represents a paradigm leap in air-to-air warfare.
It means that an Indian Rafale fighter will be able to shoot down an enemy plane from more than 100 kilometres afar without even leaving Indian airspace.
Meteor possesses a no-escape zone that is many times larger than any other air-to-air missile, according to MBDA.

The Scalp long-range air-to-ground stand-off cruise missile, which weighs 1,300 kg and is 5.1 metres long, may be carried on the Rafale in either a single missile or two missile configuration.
The missile has a 600-kilometer range and is noted for its precision. The Rafale will not have to cross the Indian airspace to hit a target that is about 600 km in enemy territory.
It’s a strategic weapon with penetration, impact, and airburst capabilities.

iii) The Rafale will also be equipped with the Mica air-to-air missiles.

iv) The IAF plans to further integrate the BrahMos NG (‘NG’ – Next Generation – lighter and sleeker version of BrahMos – max. speed of 3.5 mach) missiles with the Rafale when it is finally made by the Indo-Russian joint venture.

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