| (The Editor's Pick is a new newsletter from The Hindu that provides a snapshot of the most important stories from today's edition of our newspaper, along with a note from our top editors on why we chose to give prominence to these stories.)
Five Dassult Rafale aircraft have been inducted into the Indian Air Force, becoming an operational part of the military. They joined the Golden Arrows squadron of the IAF based at the Ambala air base in Haryana. The event was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Florence Parly. While the planes were handed over to India last October, they were flown in only in July-end as IAF pilots had been undergoing training in France. At the event, both Mr. Singh and Air Chief Marshall R.K.S. Bhadauria referred to the border tensions with China, with the latter saying the induction could not have happened at a more opportune time. Ms. Parly mentioned that the jets would give India "an edge over the entire region." The role of the jets in peacekeeping in the Indo-Pacific, another point of friction with China, was also mentioned by both the Indian and French Ministers. The purchase of the Rafale aircraft had seen a major controversy over the deal with France. Now, the aircraft is joining the military at a time when India is facing one of the biggest national security crises. These two factors together give the image carried on page one its importance. | 
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