Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): The capabilities of the Rafale fighter jet are twice that of the Mirage 2000 warplane, Air Marshal R Nambiar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, said on Monday.
"Rafale offers a wide variety of capabilities something which is double than what Mirage 2000 can do. We will be supreme in the sky when Rafale comes to our theatre. We will have air dominance or maybe air supremacy in this side of the world," he told Media.
The first of the 36 Rafale aircraft India is buying from France is expected to be handed over to the Indian Air Force in September this year.
Nambiar, who flew Mirage 2000 sorties during the Kargil conflict, said, "I have a great sense of achievement that Kargil happened and the way it turned out finally...At the beginning of the Kargil war, the IAF lost two fighter aircraft and one helicopter. Our morale was in the dumps. Looking back at history I am elated and delighted that it turned out so well."
He also said that the induction of the Mirage 2000 aircraft into the IAF was a game changer in the way air battle is fought in terms of accuracy, precision, and fire-power.
Comparing the laser-guided bomb to the SPICE missile which was used during the Balakot air strike, Nambiar said, "For short range, that is, for 10 km-range from the target, we can use the laser-guided bomb. But if the target is defended by a boundary which you do not want to cross and escape air defense missile system, then SPICE is the choice, as it has a 60 km-range."