Fact Test: Kashmiri IAF officer Hilal Ahmad Fairly is not 1st Indian pilot to fly Rafale jet | IBTimes

As the full of India is reveling in the glory of the arrival of five multi-role Rafale fighter jets at the Indian Air Power (IAF) base in Ambala, air commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather is creating headlines for his invaluable contribution in the supply of the France-created jets.

Having said that, a number of media reviews have claimed that Hilal, who is presently India’s Air Attache in France, is the initially Indian pilot to fly a Rafale. Subsequently, hundreds of social media people thought the reports and further circulated the info on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.

“Air Commodore Hilal Ahmad Alternatively is the 1st Indian Air Pressure officer to fly Rafale. Presently serving as an Air Attaché to France, Air Commodore Hilal Ahmad Fairly is a adorned officer of the Indian Air Drive from Kashmir. He was commissioned in IAF as a Fighter Pilot,” examine just one of lots of posts on Twitter.

Point-Examining the assert

Although Hilal has certainly performed a important position in the sleek shipping of India-certain Rafale jets, Intercontinental Business Instances, India, has uncovered from credible sources that he did not fly the fighter plane to Ambala.

As an Air Attache, Hilal managed protocol-relevant difficulties, administered the vital paperwork and other formalities of the procurement. A resident of Bakhshiabad in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, Hilal noticed off the 1st batch of Rafale jets which took off from France and was also instrumental in weaponizing the aircraft as per Indian conditions.

However, Hilal’s companies and accomplishments need to be celebrated as the victory of India’s equality, pluralism and progress. He was commissioned in the IAF as a fighter pilot in the Flying Branch on December 17, 1988. He was promoted as Flight Lieutenant in 1993, Wing Commander in 2004, Team Captain in 2010 and Air Commodore in 2016.

An officer with remarkable achievements, Hilal also won the Nationwide Protection Academy’s (NDA) Sword of Honour. The award is offered to the officer who achieves the over-all finest performance for the duration of his or her entire schooling period at the academy.

The to start with 5 of a batch of French Rafale fighter plane arrived in India for quick deployment amid China’s aggression alongside the Line of True Management in Ladakh.