Indian Air Force inducts five Rafale fighter jets

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force inducted into service five French-made Rafale fighter jets on Thursday amid heightened tensions with China along their disputed frontier. New Delhi has sent reinforcements of fighter jets and military equipment to the Ladakh region after the tense standoff there escalated to hand-to-hand combat between Indian and Chinese soldiers on June 15 that left 20 Indians dead. At the ceremony at a northern airbase, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the induction of fighter aircraft was very significant given the security situation at India’s borders.