Editor's Pick: Rafales report for duty

The Hindu Newsletter - [The Hindu Logo]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( Friday 11, September 2020 [alt_text]( Editor's Pick [Rafales report for duty]( [alt_text]( (The Editor's Pick is a new newsletter from The Hindu that provides a snapshot of the most important stories from today's edition of our newspaper, along with a note from our top editors on why we chose to give prominence to these stories.) Five [Dassult Rafale aircraft]( have been inducted into the Indian Air Force, becoming an operational part of the military. They joined the Golden Arrows squadron of the IAF based at the Ambala air base in Haryana. The event was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Florence Parly. While the planes were handed over to India last October, they were [flown in only in July-end]( as IAF pilots had been undergoing training in France. At the event, both Mr. Singh and Air Chief Marshall R.K.S. Bhadauria referred to the [border tensions with China](thehindu.com/news/national/lac-standoff-india-china-agree-on-5-point-plan-for-resolving-border-tension/article32577886.ece?homepage=true), with the latter saying the induction could not have happened at a more opportune time. Ms. Parly mentioned that the jets would give India "an edge over the entire region." The role of the jets in peacekeeping in the Indo-Pacific, another point of friction with China, was also mentioned by both the Indian and French Ministers. The purchase of the Rafale aircraft had seen a [major controversy over the deal with France](. Now, the aircraft is joining the military at a time when India is facing one of the biggest national security crises. These two factors together give the image carried on page one its importance. The Big Story [LAC standoff | India, China agree on 5-point plan for resolving border tension]( [alt_text]( From the Front Page [alt_text]( [LAC standoff | Officials confirm two incidents of firing at south bank of Pangong Tso]( [alt_text]( [Rafale induction a game changer, says Rajnath Singh]( From The Opinion Pages [alt_text]( [An agriculture-led revival as flawed claim]( [alt_text]( [How much is too much when collecting data for planning?]( Today's Editorials [Something rotten: On Sushant Sin]( [Drawdown in Iraq: On U.S. troop]( You are receiving this email because you are a user of [thehindu.com]( If you do not wish to receive any such emails, [unsubscribe here.](mailto:rm-0b4uuh35bf2f90kaup33rtbysa8hkv2@newsalert.thehindu.com?subject=Unsubscribe&body=You will be unsubscribed from our mailing list.) To ensure you continue to receive emails from The Hindu in your inbox, please add newsletters.th@newsalert.thehindu.com to your contact. If you can't see the mailer, please [click here.]( Group Sites [The Hindu]( | [இந்து தமிழ் திசை]( | [Business Line]( | [BL on Campus]( | [Sportstar]( | [Frontline]( | [The Hindu Centre]( | [Images]( | [roofandfloor]( | [Classifieds]( Copyright @ 2020 ,THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. [About Us]( | [Contact Us]( | [Digital Subscription](