July 29, 2020
Iranian missiles missed IAF Rafales enroute to India from France via Al Dhafra US Airbase in UAE while pilots took cover. The Rafales were being delivered to India for induction into the Indian Air Force.
-Iranian missiles narrowly miss IAF Rafales in UAE
-The Rafales were enroute to India from France with an overnight halt at Al Dhafra US Airbase According to US military, the ballistic missiles landed in waters approximately just where the bases were located
-IAF pilots reportedly took cover while the missiles struck
-The missiles were launched as part of the Great Prophet Naval exercise targeting the replica of a US aircraft carrier
On July 28, Tuesday, at least three Iranian missiles landed near the Al Dhafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the US military, the ballistic missiles landed in waters approximately just where the two bases were located.
The first batch of Rafale aircraft took off from Dassault Aviation Facility, Merignac, in France. The two air force bases were alerted on Tuesday morning, because Iran conducted missile tests in waters near the facilities.
The two bases are – Al Udeid in Qatar and Al Dhafra in the UAE – these are used by the US military. Since 2010, Al Dhafra, has been a forward operating base for France’s Rafale Fighters.
On Monday night, the first batch of Rafael fighters for the Indian Air Force landed at Al Dhafra. The landing was done at Al Dhafra base as a part of an overnight halt. The five Rafale jets were set to fly to India on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, a reporter covering the Pentagon for Fox News, Lucas Tomlinson, tweeted that the Indian Rafale pilots were also told to take cover when the Iranian missile tests were performed.
On Tuesday, Iran announced that it was going to conduct a missile test, on the replica of a US aircraft carrier. The missiles were launched as part of the Great Prophet Naval exercise.
The reports say, all personnel at the bases were told to “take cover, but no missile struck”.
Issuing a statement on the incident, the US military’s Central Command said, “At approximately 5.30 am local time, Iran launched several ballistic missiles from Iran to the Southern Arabian Gulf. The initial US assessment indicated a threat to two bases in the Gulf region that host US troops. Out of an abundance of caution, both bases enacted a heightened alert status. The incident lasted for a matter of minutes and an all-clear was declared after the threat indicator had passed. The safety and resilience of our service members and coalition partners is a top priority.”
Meanwhile, Iran has announced its intention to establish a permanent Naval Base in the Indian Ocean by 2021. The Iranian presence in the Indian Ocean is a counter to the Anglo-American base at Diego Garcia. Diego Garcia is the key launchpad for western powers in case of an attack on Iran – which is beyond the range of Iranian ballistic missiles.
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