On this Special Report, India Today provides a first-ever ground report from Ambala Air Force Station, home of the Golden Arrow Squadron, marking 100 days of Operation Sindoor. The programme details how Rafale fighter jets launched missions to strike terror camps and cripple multiple air bases inside Pakistan. The report explores the omni-role capabilities of the 4.5th generation fighter, including its advanced missile systems like the Scalp and Hammer. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh stated the mission was a "high-tech war which was fought," revealing that the Indian Air Force took down at least six Pakistani aircraft. The report also covers the Indian Air Force's formal proposal to acquire additional Rafale jets to replace its aging MiG series aircraft and provide a decisive technological edge in the region.
00:02India Today then takes you now inside the Ambala Air Force Station.
00:06It's home of the Golden Arrow Squadron.
00:08This is where the Rafale fighter jets launched mission that shook Pakistan.
00:13And striking terror camps, crippling their air bases, rewriting combat history.
00:18Take a look at the special report.
00:20India Today's Shivani Sharma brings you this one.
00:22On the completion of 100 days of Operation Sindur,
00:32India Today brings you the first ever ground report from Ambala Air Force Station.
00:38Home of the Golden Arrow Squadron that changed the course of the conflict.
00:46Rafale fighter jets took off to strike terror camps deep inside Pakistan
00:51and later targeted over a dozen of its air bases,
00:55creating havoc for the first time in combat history.
01:01From the front line during the Operation Sindur to the 100 days of the successful operation,
01:07India Today is getting you this exclusive report from the Golden Arrow Squadron
01:11of the Rafale fighter jets at Air Force Station Ambala.
01:15Rafales have been the game changers for Indian Air Force.
01:18They created havoc inside Pakistan, not only during the initial strikes,
01:23but also when Pakistan chose to retaliate with drones.
01:26And we'll be showing you the capabilities of these Rafale fighters
01:30and also speaking to the pilots of Rafale.
01:33India Today ground report reveals for the first time
01:38how the Rafales prove their combat power in real operations.
01:43Rafale fighter jet combat capabilities.
01:46Omni-role design can perform air-to-air, air-to-ground
01:50and reconnaissance missions in a single sortie.
01:54Meteor missiles beyond visual range air-to-air missile
01:57with over 150 km range unmatched in the region.
02:02Scalp cruise missiles.
02:04Long-range precision strikes on fortified targets over 300 km away.
02:10Speed and maneuverability.
02:12Top speed of Mach 1.8 with exceptional agility for dogfights.
02:16Pectra electronic warfare suite.
02:20Advanced jamming, threat detection and self-protection system.
02:25Precision targeting.
02:27Thales targeting pod for pinpoint accuracy in any weather or lightning condition.
02:32Long endurance.
02:34Combat radius over 1,000 km.
02:37Extendable with aerial refueling.
02:40All-weather, all-terrain operation.
02:42Capable of day and night missions in hostile environments.
02:45Rafale is the 4.5 generation fighter jet which is an Omni-role fighter with twin engine.
02:54It was procured from France.
02:55The deal was signed in 2016 and the first Rafale was commissioned in 2019.
03:00And in 2020, these Rafales started coming to India.
03:05Now we have the complete strength of two squadrons.
03:08One squadron is based in Ambala which is also called the Golden Arrow.
03:12The other squadron is in Hashimara.
03:14Rafale happens to be one of the most lethal fighter jets of this era.
03:18And you see the missile carrying capabilities of Rafale make it special.
03:23Because these are the attachments where the missile systems are loaded.
03:28It can be integrated with hammer missiles.
03:31These are the precision missiles with long range capabilities.
03:34They can also be integrated with scalp missile systems.
03:38The hammers and the scalps were also used in Operation Sindur.
03:41And a number of other missile systems that can be integrated with Rafale to make it firepower more lethal and precise.
03:49So this is how these Rafales have been capable of being in action and complex missions.
03:55From Ambala's runway to the hostile skies over Pakistan.
04:01These Rafales have cemented their place as India's most potent air combat asset.
04:07And 100 days later, their impact continues to define India's air power edge.
04:12There is a lot of talk about the capabilities of its missile system.
04:18The scalps, the hammer, the mature and many other systems.
04:21Please tell us about the missile systems that are integrated.
04:26All I can say right now is that the roles that were assigned to the squadron and the aircraft were successfully completed by the squadron.
04:38And whatever weapons were delivered by the aircraft were very, very precise.
04:44The commanding officer of the Golden Arrows reveals how the mission was executed with precision and lethality.
04:51When we talk about the capabilities, we say that this is an Omni-Roll aircraft.
04:57Why do we say this?
04:59So Omni-Roll means that the different types of missions can be done by the aircraft in a single sortie.
05:04Like while carrying out a ground attack, it can counter an air-to-air threat.
05:08Or while launching a long-range missile, it can carry out electronic warfare or gather intelligence all in the same sortie.
05:14So whenever we use the word Omni-Roll, we associate Rafale with it.
05:18The man-machine interface of this aircraft is what sets it apart from the other fighter aircraft.
05:22The man-machine interface of this aircraft is very user-friendly.
05:25And in a combat dense environment, it enhances the performance of the pilot.
05:29The radar that has been integrated in this aircraft is capable of tracking both air-to-air as well as air-to-surface tracks.
05:35The electronic warfare suite of this aircraft, it enhances the survivability of this aircraft.
05:39And at the same time, it enhances the offensive capabilities of this aircraft.
05:43During the initial training phase of the pilot, he has to go through a very steep learning curve, which is challenging and rigorous in its own way.
05:52And rightly so, because we have to fully utilize the versatile capability of this aircraft to the max extent.
05:58And that's where the simulators step in.
06:00I must say that the simulators has paid really rich dividends and will continue to do so in individual pilot capability development and also in understanding, you know, the operational philosophy of this aircraft.
06:11Now we are showing you how a pilot gets ready for a mission.
06:14So, this Rafale jet is getting ready for a sortie and operational mission.
06:20And before the flight takes on, the team conducts the external inspection of the aircraft.
06:26And then the pilot gets ready, takes its cockpit and he is ready to fly.
06:31So, these Rafale jets not only are the protectors of the western front line, but also along the line of actual control at the Hashimara Air Base.
06:41The squadron of Rafale stays ready for any kind of action, any time it gets a command.
06:47So, here we see that before a mission, the pilot is ready and now it will take on a mission.
06:52And when we talk about the proximity of Ambala Air Force Station, it is around 200 kilometers from India-Pakistan border.
06:59So, when in Operation Sindur, we saw the operations happening.
07:03Whenever these fighters go for a mission, they return.
07:07So, you make sure that they are once again checked thoroughly for another mission?
07:12Yes.
07:13So, the maintenance philosophy that we are following on this aircraft is the philosophy which the OEM or the DASO also follows.
07:20So, in that we have a calendar-based servicing schedule and an integrated management system,
07:27which helps us to check the health of the aircraft when the aircraft comes back after the sortie.
07:31In that, once the aircraft lands back, we check all the parameters of the aircraft to clear it for the next sortie,
07:37which can be done easily on a system provided to us.
07:39So, that helps us to, you know, clear the aircraft when it is required.
07:42Marking 100 days of Operation Sindur, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh recently revealed
07:49that the Indian Air Force took down at least six Pakistani aircraft during the high-tempo missions.
07:56The operations, spare-headed by the Rafale-equipped Golden Arrow Squadron from Ambala,
08:02also crippled multiple Pakistani air bases in coordinated strikes.
08:06I can say that it was, you know, more of a high-tech war which was fought.
08:15In about 88, 90 hours of war, we were able to achieve, you know, so much of damage to their system
08:23that it was very clear in their mind that in this current situation,
08:28if they continue, they are going to continue paying for it more and more.
08:31According to top sources, the IAF has now formally pitched for additional Rafale jets
08:38to offset its depleting squadron strength,
08:41which will take a further hit with the phasing out of the MiG series next month.
08:46The Rafale's proven performance in combat,
08:50especially its ability to dominate adversaries in both air-to-air and deep-strike roles,
08:55has strengthened the case for expanding the fleet.
08:58Sina officials say a larger Rafale fleet would not only replace aging aircraft,
09:04but also give the IAF a decisive technological edge in the region for years to come.
09:12Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh recently said that how during Operation Sindur,
09:17the Indian Air Force crippled the Pakistani air bases and they lost more than six fighters.
09:23And this Ambala air base was ready in Operation Sindur.
09:28And we are saying that even after 100 days of Operation Sindur,
09:31the Operation Sindur is going on and these Rafales are still in a mission-ready mode.
09:38This is Shivani Sharma with camera person Prem Chan for India Today from Ambala.
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