The Indian Air Force will formally induct the Rafale fighter jets at the Ambala air base on Thursday in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Florence Parly, the IAF said in a statement on Wednesday.

Five Rafales of the 36 ordered by the IAF arrived at the Ambala airbase on July 29, ending the IAF’s agonizing wait for new fighter jets to sharpen its combat potential. While IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and other senior officials welcomed the Rafales and the pilots on their arrival, a formal induction ceremony is being held now. These Rafale jets are part of the IAF’s No. 17 Squadron, which is also known as the ‘Golden Arrows’.

Chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat, defence secretary Ajay Kumar and Defence Research and Development Organisation chief G Satheesh Reddy are among the dignitaries attending the ceremony. Dassault Aviation chairman Eric Trappier will also be present. Rafales are manufactured by Dassault Aviation.

“At Ambala, the programme will include ceremonial unveiling of the Rafale aircraft, a traditional ‘Sarva Dharma Puja’, air display by Rafale and Tejas aircraft as well as by the Sarang helicopter aerobatic team,” the IAF statement said. After the ceremonial events, the Indian and French delegations will hold a bilateral meeting, it added.

The next batch of three to four Rafale jets is expected to reach Ambala from France in October followed by a third batch in December, officials said. All deliveries will be completed by the end of 2021. India ordered 36 Rafale jets from France in a government-to-government deal worth Rs 59,000 crore in September 2016.

India’s new Rafale fighters will significantly enhance the offensive capabilities of the air force and prove to be a game changer with their advanced weaponry, high-tech sensors, superior radar for detection and tracking of targets and ability to carry an impressive payload, experts previously told Hindustan Times.

The Rafale weaponry includes Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, Mica multi-mission air-to-air missiles and Scalp deep-strike cruise missiles — weapons that allow fighter pilots to attack air and ground targets from standoff ranges and fill a significant capability gap.