*Last week, Indian officials visited Bordeaux to check the progress of thesecond batch of Rafale jet fighters.*
According to a report from *National Interest*, Indian Air Force officialsvisited the Dassault Aviation plant near Bordeaux, to check the progress ofthe second batch of jet fighters, which could potentially be deployed toguard the country’s northeastern border with China.
India, which ordered *thirty-six* of the twin-engine fighter aircrafts,received the first batch in September last year, and immediately deployedthose to the contested Ladakh region.
New Delhi has confirmed that the second batch of jets could arrive in thenext few weeks, as both India and China continue to fortify forces alongthe Line of Actual Control (LAC).
IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria told reporters that the additional three to fourjets could arrive by the end of October or early in November, adding that”This will keep happening every three to four months”.
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The entire batch of the original order of the thirty-six aircraft isreportedly expected to be operational by early 2023.
New Delhi has been eager to acquire new fighters to replace theirantiquated MiGs, and the Rafales have been seen as the clear cut candidateat this point.
