Rajnath meets French Prez Macron ahead of first Rafale procurement

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to travel in a French military plane to Mérignac, from Paris, to receive the first Rafale combat aircraft.

Paris: Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a three-day visit to France to receive the first Rafale combat aircraft, met French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.

After the meeting, Singh will travel in a French military plane to Mérignac, from Paris, to receive the combat aircraft.

• Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has reached the Elysée Palace to call on the President of France @EmmanuelMacron.
  
  He is meeting the Minister for the Armed Forces, Ms Florence Parly and the Defence Advisor to the French President, Admiral Bernard Rogel. pic.twitter.com/pBK4oIA74l

  — रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) October 8, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has reached the Elysée Palace to call on the President of France @EmmanuelMacron.
  
  He is meeting the Minister for the Armed Forces, Ms Florence Parly and the Defence Advisor to the French President, Admiral Bernard Rogel. pic.twitter.com/pBK4oIA74l

  — रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) October 8, 2019

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  Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has reached the Elysée Palace to call on the President of France @EmmanuelMacron.
  
  He is meeting the Minister for the Armed Forces, Ms Florence Parly and the Defence Advisor to the French President, Admiral Bernard Rogel. pic.twitter.com/pBK4oIA74l

  — रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) October 8, 2019

He will participate in the Rafale fighter jet handing-over ceremony at Merignac along with the French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly.

Rafale features

Singh will also perform the 'Shastra puja' on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami and fly a sortie in the Rafale fighter jet.

During his visit, he will receive the first of 36 Rafale fighter jets manufactured for India. Though the Rafale planes would be officially inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the Defence Minister's visit, they would start arriving in India only in May 2020 after training of pilots and personnel on it.