Rafale Fighet Jets will be deployed today at Ambala Air base. The first batch of India’s Rafale took off from Bordeaux, France.
Hilal Ahmed Rather played a pivotial role in hailing these fighter jets from France. He became the first pilot to see off fighter jets from France to India on 27th July.
He is a senior IAS officer, who has also played a crucial role in quick acquisition of jets. He also made project management team to add thirteen features making Rafales suitable for India.
Hilal’s father Mohammed Abdulah Rather was deputy superintendent of police in Kashmir. He is originally from Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir.
He was commissioned in IAF as a fighter pilot on December 17, 1988. He was promoted as Flight lieutenant in 1993, Wing Commander in 2004, Group Captain in 2010 and Air Commodore in 2016.Hilal was awarded Vayu Sena medal as a Wing Commander in 2010 and the Vishisht Seva Medal when he was a group captain in 2016. He has a record of 3,000 accident-free flying hours on mirage-2000, MIG-21 and Kiran aircraft.
