Break-in At IAF’s Rafale Paris Office

Unidentified persons broke into the Paris office of Indian Air Force Rafale project management team on Sunday night. It is not clear whether it was an attempt at espionage, to steal data related to the aircraft, which is critical to India’s security plans.

“There was a break-in at the IAF’s Rafale project management team office, which is located in a suburb of Paris. No hard disk or document has been stolen. More details are being ascertained about the motive,” sources in the Indian Air Force told ANI. The Rafale project team is headed by a Group Captain-rank officer who looks after issues related to the 36 Rafale combat aircraft, including the production timelines and training of Indian personnel.

Sources said valuables or money are not kept in these administrative offices and possibly could not be a motive behind the break-in. The IAF office is in the vicinity of the Dassault Aviation office block. Government sources said the Indian Air Force has already briefed the Defence Ministry in this regard and French police authorities are probing the case.

The Rafale has been critical to IAF plans for securing the country against aerial and other threats from enemy countries. After the February 27 incident involving an aerial battle between India and Pakistan, IAF Chief BS Dhanoa had suggested that the Pakistanis would not have dared to come close to the LoC in a conflict situation if the country had Rafale planes in its inventory.
Inputs from Freepressjournal