The Indian Air Force (IAF) will begin the deployment of its second Rafale squadron in mid-April at the new main operating base in West Bengal, sources at the Indian Defense Ministry told Sputnik on Thursday.
The second squadron of Rafale fighter jets commissioned by India from France will be based at Hasimara Air Force Base in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal. The first five-jet batch, deployed in September 2020, is based in Ambala in the Indian state of Haryana as part of the Golden Arrows squadron.
In 2016, India signed a deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France for an estimated $8.7 billion. The jets are set to be handed over to India within the next few years.
