Both Rafale squadrons for Pak and China front ready, 35 of 36 fighter jets delivered
India Today
India has planned to use two squadrons with 18 jets each at Ambala and Hasimara for operations against Pakistan on the western front and China in the eastern sector.
The two squadrons of Rafale fighter jets are fully functional, with 35 of the 36 aircraft delivered to the Indian Air Force from France.
After Ambala, the first home for the Rafale jets, now Hasimara in West Bengal, is also fully equipped to operate with the Rafales.
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The two squadrons with 18 jets each at Ambala and Hasimara have been planned for operations against Pakistan on the western front and China in the eastern sector.
Hasimara is a strategic base for Air Force operations as it’s close to Bhutan. The Chumbi Valley, where lies a tri-junction between India-Bhutan and China, is close to Doklam where a standoff took place in 2017.
In case of an attack by China, thrusting to cut off India’s north region by targeting the Siliguri corridor, Hasimara would be the crucial airbase for a counter-attack.
The 101 squadron will operate with the Rafales from here. The Indian Air Force, in July 2021, formally inducted the second Rafale squadron. The squadron was formed in 1949 in Palam.
