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DefenceTalk<\/p>\nDefenceTalk<\/p>\n
India\u2019s new French Rafale jets have flown \u201cfamiliarisation\u201d flights above the border region contested with China where a deadly clash between soldiers from the nuclear-armed neighbours took place in June, an official told AFP Monday.<\/p>\n
The first five planes of a $9.4 billion order for 36 Rafale aircraft were formally commissioned on September 10, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh calling them a \u201cstrong message\u201d to New Delhi\u2019s adversaries.<\/p>\n
\u201cRafale fighter jets have been familiarising in our operational areas including Ladakh,\u201d a senior air force official told AFP on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
In mid-June, Chinese and Indian soldiers engaged in violent hand-to-hand fighting in the Ladakh region that left 20 Indian troops dead.<\/p>\n
China has also acknowledged suffering casualties but has not revealed any figures.<\/p>\n
In another incident in early September, shots were fired for the first time in 45 years on the border with China.<\/p>\n
The announcement of the Rafale flights came as military commanders from both sides held their latest round of talks aimed at easing tensions along the disputed Himalayan border.<\/p>\n
It was not revealed when the flights commenced, but an AFP photographer saw a Rafale jet fly over Ladakh\u2019s capital Leh on Monday.<\/p>\n
The defence ministry had said during the commissioning that the fighter planes had \u201calready flown and familiarised with our operational environment\u201d without specifically mentioning Ladakh.<\/p>\n
\u201c(The Rafales) have undergone intense integrated training with other combat fleets including firing of advanced weapons,\u201d that statement added.<\/p>\n
India acknowledges it is behind China and other key nations in military firepower, and the purchase of the Rafale jets is one of many made in a bid to bolster its 1.4 million-strong army.<\/p>\n