Rafale Jet

IN NEWS:

• India is set to receive six fully loaded Rafale fighter aircraft with the long-range air-to-air missiles, amid the ongoing border disputes with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

ABOUT RAFALE:

• Rafale are twin-engine Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).
• Manufactured by French company ‘Dassault Aviation’.
• Dassault claims Rafale has 'Omnirole' capability to perform several actions at the same time, such as firing air-to-air missiles at a very low altitude.
• The aircraft is fitted with an on-board oxygen generation system (OBOGS) which suppresses the need for liquid oxygen re-filling or ground support for oxygen production.
• It carry out a wide range of missions:
  • Air-defence
  • Aerial reconnaissance
  • Air-to-ground precision strike
  • Anti-ship attacks
  • Nuclear deterrence etc.

Why India need Rafale?

• The Indian Air Force (IAF), one of the largest in the world, operates a diverse mix of fighter jets, including MiG, Jaguar, Su-30MKI, Tejas etc.
• IAF now has 33 squadrons, much lower than the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons.
• With the IAF set to phase out 11 squadrons of the ageing MiG-21s and MiG-27s, the number may dip again.
• The delay in the development of Tejas and its induction meant looking for the alternatives from abroad.

PRELIMS QUESTION:

Q. Consider the following statements about Dassault Rafale fighter Aircrafts:

1. Rafale aircrafts are of French origin.
2. They belong to the category of Medium Multi-role aircraft.

Which among the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims question