SOURCE: NewsX
As controversies over the Rafale refuse to die down, a delegation from the Indian Air Force is scheduled to head to France early next month to inspect two Dassault-made Mirage-2000 aircraft which will be France’s gift to India. while India has signed a deal with France for 36 Rafale jets which will be manufactured by Dassault Aviation, France has presented two Mirage-2000 fighter aircrafts which also be manufactured by Dassault aviation for a very minimal price.
The Mirage-2000 is a millennial aircraft which emerged as an important weapon in the Indian weaponry and was enormously used in the Kargil war as India thwarted her enemies. The defence ministry has cleared off the deal which comes across as virtually free, the Indian Air Force is set to send a team for inspecting the quality of the aircrafts. A squadron leader rank officer would be heading the Air Force delegation.
The Air Force team would be headed to Chateaudun French airforce base, which is near the French capital of Paris to have a first look at the aircraft. Although India has accepted the deal on papers and the team of airforce officers would inspect the planes. If everything executes as per plan, the Indian Air Force will have two more aircrafts in its fleet of 50-odd mirage aircrafts.
The airforce would use the two commissioned aircrafts for in-air combats for a brief while which will depend on their serviceability. This is precisely what the inspection team would inspect. After that, the planes could be broken up and used as spare parts. Since Dassault is closing on the manufacture of Mirage-2000 aircrafts, these planes would come in handy when the IAF needs spare parts for its other Mirage-2000 crafts.
