Did Pak pilots train on Rafale jets? 'Fake news' says French ambassador
Rafale Jet
France's ambassador of India, Alexandre Ziegler, has denied the report in a section of media that Pakistani fighter pilots were trained by France to fly the Rafale jets for Qatari Air Force.
"I can confirm that it is fake news," the ambassador tweeted on Thursday.
The news was reported by AIN Online, a media firm which focusses on the aviation sector, in February. The report claimed, "Qatari personnel will be trained at Base Aérienne 118 Mont-de-Marsan in southwestern France, Rochefort, and the Joint Intelligence Training Institute in Strasbourg. The first batch of pilots trained for Qatar in November 2017 were Pakistani exchange officers."
Qatar took delivery of the first of 36 Rafale multi-purpose jet fighters it has ordered from French manufacturer Dassault in February this year.
The hand-over ceremony in Merignac, southwestern France, where the planes are built, was attended by Qatar Defence Minister Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah and Dassault Aviation chief Eric Trappier.
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Qatar ordered 24 of the fighters in 2015, adding 12 more last year. It also has an option to buy 36 more.
The twin-engine fighter has been in service with the French Air Force since 2004.
France has also sold Mirage F1, Alpha Jets and Mirage 2000 fighters to Qatar.
(With input from agencies)