New Delhi. In a strong signal to adversaries, a top Indian Air Force (IAF) officer said once French Rafale and the Russian SU-30MKI jets combo start joint operations in the IAF, “it will be a deadly combination and will make our enemies including Pakistan worried.”
The Rafale with its Meteor air to air and Scalp air to ground missiles is believed to be the best fighter jet in the continent said IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal R.K. S. Bhadauria who headed the Indian team which negotiated for the acquisition of 36 Rafale jets from France in 2016.
The officer who said that he was looking forward to fly the Rafale aircraft of the French Air Force at the ongoing Indo-French Exercise Garuda in France said in case Pakistan dares a February 27-type attack on India after the two jets start operating together in India, “the losses suffered by Pakistan would be very very high and attrition that we will inflict upon them also would be very very high.”
“Once the Su-30MKI and the Rafale start operating together, it will be a potent combination against our adversaries, be it Pakistan or anybody else. It will be a potent capability. Any adversary would be worried about such a combination,” Air Marshal Bhadauria said.
Ever since IAF MIG-21s and SU-30s had foiled the Pakistan counter attack since the destruction by IAF of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in Pakistan’s Balakot town, the IAF had said that if the Rafales were part of the fleet at that time, the Pakistanis would not have even dared to come close to the LoC.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had signed a deal for 36 Rafale fighters with France in 2016. The first squadron would be based in Ambala while the second one would go to Hashimara on the border with China.
