Ambala (Haryana): The first batch of five Rafale jets are scheduled to land at the Ambala air base here on Wednesday afternoon with police tightening the security around the air force station.
The squadron of Rafale jets will be stationed at the Ambala air base in Haryana.
The jets took off from the Merignac airbase in French port city of Bordeaux on Monday and will arrive here after covering a distance of 7,000 km with air-to-air refuelling and a single stop in the United Arab Emirates.
The fleet of five jets comprises three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft.
Section 144 near air base, taking pictures prohibited
Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders near the Ambala Air Force Station, banning shooting of videos and photography.
The Ambala district administration has also prohibited people from flying private drones within the three-km radius of the air base, officials said earlier.
Section 144, which prohibits assembly of four or more people, has been imposed in the villages adjoining the air base, including Dhulkot, Baldev Nagar, Garnala and Panjkhora.
Ambala deputy commissioner Ashok Kumar Sharma said shooting of videos or taking photographs of the boundary wall of the air base and its adjoining areas will remain strictly prohibited during the imposition of the prohibitory orders.
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Meanwhile, the Haryana Police has set up several check barricades and police officers were seen patrolling residential localities near the air base, making announcements over loudspeakers warning people not to stand on the rooftop of their houses to click pictures or shoot videos.
Violators would face punishment as per the law, they warned.
Hoardings put up across Ambala to welcome Rafale
At many places here, hoardings have been erected to welcome the arrival of the fighter jets with some of these mentioning that their induction will further boost IAF's capabilities.
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said the people of Ambala are very enthusiastic about the arrival of the jets.
"This is a very proud and a historic moment for us that the Rafale jets will be stationed in Ambala Cantonment area. Rafales are IAF's 'Sikandar', which will significantly boost our combat capabilities," he said.
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He said had there not been the threat of coronavirus pandemic, thousands would have gathered in the streets to welcome the jets.
BJP's Ambala City MLA Aseem Goyal urged to people to light candles in their homes between 7-7:30 pm on Wednesday to welcome the Rafale jets.
Infrastructure upgrades at Ambala base for Rafale squadron
Nearly four years ago, India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to purchase 36 Rafale jets under a Rs 59,000-crore deal to boost the IAF's combat capabilities. Of the 36 jets, 30 will be fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the features of the fighter jets.
The five Rafales are scheduled to be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday, though a formal induction ceremony would be held later.
The jets will be inducted into the IAF as part of its No 17 Squadron, also known as the 'Golden Arrows'.
The IAF has undertaken major infrastructure upgrades at the Ambala base for the deployment of the first Rafale squadron.
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Built in 1948, the air base is located on the east side of Ambala and is used for military and government flights.
The air base has two squadrons of the Jaguar combat aircraft and one squadron of the MIG-21 'Bison'. Air Force Marshal Arjan Singh was the first commander of the base.
The Mirage fighters that were used for the air strike in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 after the Pulwama terror attack had taken off from here.
(With inputs from PTI)
