While India and China remain locked in a military face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, France has dispatched the first five Rafale fighter aircraft which are to arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday.

In a statement, the embassy of India in France said that the move has enabled India to take a significant step in strengthening its air power and defence preparedness. This also marks a new milestone in the strong and growing India-France defence cooperation, the French embassy said.