The first of the 36 French-made Rafale aircraft acquired by the Indian Air Force was handed over to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He took part in the handover ceremony with his French counterpart Florence Parly at Dassault Aviation facility in Merignac, France. The Defence Minister performed Shastra Puja on the new aircraft and undertook a sortie in the Rafale.<br />''<br />''Mr. Singh stated that Rafale multi-role fighter jets will boost India's air dominance exponentially. Talking to media persons at Merignac, he added that India does not purchase arms and other defence equipment to threaten any country but to increase its capabilities and strengthen defences.<br />''<span style="color: #222222;"><br />''The Defence Minister said the handover also marks a new milestone in the Indo-French strategic partnership. Talking to AIR, Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Singh Bahdur siad that the induction of Rafale into the Indian Air Force is a landmark event.</span><br />