IAF sources have told ANI about possible bases for new Rafale warplanes that are expected to arrive in the country soon.
"The first unit to receive the Rafale combat aircraft would be the 17 Squadron which was earlier located in Bhatinda in Punjab and will now be shifted to Ambala in Haryana", the report suggested.
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At the same time, according to the sources, another squadron of the fighter jets will be based in Hasimara, West Bengal, closer to the Chinese border, as Saraswat Air Base in Uttar Pradesh could not host the planes due to land acquisition problems.
The first Rafale is set to be handed to the Indian military in September 2019 but it will be required to undergo at least 1,500 hours of intensive testing in order to validate the India Specific Enhancement on it.