IAF Chief Marshal Birender Dhanoa takes sortie on Russian advanced jet trainer YAK130

Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa on Thursday flew a sortie in the Yakovlev YAK-130 Mitten Advanced Jet Trainer in Russia. Dhanoa is on a bilateral goodwill visit to Russia. After sortie, he met the pilot and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces of Russian Federation. Russia is the primary supplier of fighter planes to India.

YAK-130 is an advanced pilot training aircraft, able to replicate characteristics of Russian 4th and 5th generation fighters. The Yakovlev YAK-130 is equipped with the FBWS controlled engine intake blanking doors, in order to prevent the aircraft's engines from sustaining Foreign object damage when operating from unpaved runways and grass strips, according to a report.

#Visit -Chairman COSC & the CAS, ACM BS Dhanoa is on a bilateral goodwill visit to Russia from 09-12 Jul 19. The CAS flew a sortie in the Russian advanced jet trainer YAK130. After sortie, he met the pilot & the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Aerospace Forces of Russian Federation. pic.twitter.com/mrmz2qt0m3

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) July 11, 2019

On Thursday, Indian Air Force Vice Chief Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria took a sortie on Rafale aircraft at French Air Force’s Mont de Marsan air base. RKS Bhadauria said, “It was a very good experience, we will have many lessons to take home in terms of how to best utilize Rafale once it is inducted into our Air Force, and how the combination can be with Su-30, another potent and important fleet in our Air Force.”  

"In terms of technology and weapons Rafale has brought in, it will again be a game changer for IAF from our planning perspective, point of view of offensive missions and planning the kind of war we want to conduct in the coming years,” he added.

Earlier, French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler on Friday said the first Rafale fighter aircraft will be delivered within two months and it will be "perfectly on time".

The senior diplomat had told PTI on the sidelines of a function here that all 36 Rafale jets will be delivered to the Indian Air Force within the next two years.

Calling it an excellent aircraft, he said it would add a lot to the capacity of the Indian Air Force.

"The first Rafale will be delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in two months from now, I think in September, perfectly on time. Thirty-six will come within the next two years," Ziegler said.