How Made-in-India Rafales are the best option for IAF as of now

India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has received a proposal from the Indian Air Force (IAF) for acquiring 114 “Made in India” Rafale fighter jets, which would be built by the French firm Dassault Aviation jointly with Indian aerospace firms. The proposal, expected to be worth over Rs 2 lakh crore ($22 billion), including the indigenous content of more than 60 per cent, will be taken up for discussion by the Defence Procurement Board headed by the Defence Secretary.

If given a go-ahead, it would be the biggest ever defence deal for India. Choosing Rafale maintains continuity and prevents adding an additional fleet that could be a logistic nightmare.

IAF has already inducted 36 Rafale, and the Indian Navy has ordered 26 of them, both under government-to-government (G2G) deals. 114 more will make the fleet strength 176. Rafale is a 4.5-generation aircraft that performed very well against Pakistan in “Op Sindoor”, where it managed to comprehensively beat the Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missiles using its Spectra Electronic Warfare suite. The Made-in-India aircraft will have a complement of longer-range air-to-air and air-to-ground stand-off weapons and missiles beyond the existing Scalp, which was used extensively to hit both military and terrorist targets inside Pakistan.

Dassault has already tied up with India’s Tata Group to make Rafale fuselages in India at the rate of 25 a year. The indigenous content in the Made-in-India Rafale fighter jets will keep going up in stages. Dassault has already set up a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul firm in India. The M-88 engines will be overhauled in Hyderabad.

The IAF is already down to 29 fighter squadrons. The urgency to get back to the authorised 42.5 squadrons has been reinforced by the regional threat perception and collusive Sino-Pakistani anti-India engagement. The last of the overstretched MiG-21 squadron will phase out in September 2025. India is also the only operator of Jaguar strike aircraft, and they will be next to go. The upgraded Mirage-2000 and MiG-29 will serve for around a decade more. Finally, the IAF inventory should primarily comprise the Su-30 MKIs, Rafale, and indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fighters.

Make-in-India Rafale Fuselage

Earlier in June 2025, in a big boost to Make in India, Dassault and India’s Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) agreed to partner to manufacture Rafale aircraft fuselages at a dedicated facility in Hyderabad. The key structural sections of the aircraft to be manufactured in India include the front section, central fuselage, rear section, and lateral rear shells. The first fuselage sections are expected to roll out by FY2028, with a production capacity of up to two complete fuselages per month.

The Rafale fuselage will be produced in India for both domestic and global markets. This marks the first time in history that Rafale fuselages will be manufactured outside France. Four Production Transfer Agreements (PTA) have been signed between the companies. Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, emphasised that this partnership is a “decisive step in strengthening our supply chain in India,” noting that it aligns with the company’s long-term strategy to collaborate with Indian aerospace firms like TASL.

Sukaran Singh, CEO and MD of TASL, described the partnership as a milestone in India’s aerospace journey, demonstrating both India’s manufacturing prowess and the trust international aerospace leaders place in Indian partners. “The production of the complete Rafale fuselage in India underscores the deepening trust in Tata Advanced Systems’ capabilities and the strength of our collaboration with Dassault Aviation. It also reflects the remarkable progress India has made in establishing a modern, robust aerospace manufacturing ecosystem that can support global platforms,” Singh said. This facility will represent a significant investment in India’s aerospace infrastructure and will serve as a critical hub for high-precision manufacturing.

With over 10,000 military and civil aircraft, including 2,700 Falcon business jets, delivered in more than 90 countries, Dassault Aviation has built expertise recognised worldwide in the design, production, sale and support of all types of aircraft, military drones and space systems.

Make-in-India Safran Aero Engine

French aerospace company Safran and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have joined to develop India’s first jet engine with Indian intellectual property rights (IPR). Safran will transfer 100 per cent of the technology to DRDO, including that for crystal blades. The joint project between Safran and India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a DRDO lab, will develop and produce a 120-kilonewton (kN) engine which will power India’s twin-engine Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fighter. The announcement comes shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for indigenous development of jet engines from the ramparts of Red Fort during the recent Independence Day speech.

It is reported that Safran-GTRE will develop nine prototype engines within a time frame of 12 years. The initial engines will be of 120 kN power and later go up to 140 kN by the end of the 12-year time period. Single crystal blades use superalloys and are efficient and long-lasting and also cope better with higher heat and rotational stress. The Indian private sector, with the Tata Group, L&T, Adani Defence, and others, is all ready to pitch in for this national effort. This critical defence technology will have spin-offs for larger airliner and cargo aircraft engines.

Only the US, Russia, the UK and France are capable of designing, developing and producing aircraft engines. For a long time, China has used Russian or reverse-engineered engines to power its military aircraft. India’s GTRE tried to develop the indigenous engine Kaveri, but the project did not complete. India is powering its LCA Mk1 variants with the American GE F-404 engines. The LCA Mk2 will have a made-in-India GE-414. The transfer of technology (ToT) will be around 80 per cent.

India considers France a more reliable partner with less capacity and intent to arm-twist and thus preferred it to develop the indigenous aero-engine. The engine will power future Indian fighters.

France–A Major Global Aviation Manufacturer

Major French aviation companies include Airbus, Dassault Aviation, Safran, Thales Group, and MBDA. Airbus is a major manufacturer of commercial and military aircraft, while Dassault Aviation specialises in business jets and military aircraft, including Falcon and Rafale.

Safran is a key player in aircraft engine manufacturing and other aerospace technologies, and Thales provides a wide range of aerospace and defence systems and specialises in electronics. MBDA is a European missile manufacturer. Airbus, a global aircraft manufacturer with headquarters in France, is known for its commercial aircraft and helicopters. ATR is a joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo (Italy), known for regional turboprop aircraft. Daher is a French company that manufactures light aircraft and business turboprops.

France is one of the very few countries that makes all constituents of an aircraft and is not dependent on other countries.

India’s Time-Tested French Aviation Connect

India acquired 104 each of Dassault Ouragan fighters (Indian name Toofani) and Mystère IVAs in the 1950s. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) license-built versions of the French Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama (designated Cheetah) and Aérospatiale Alouette III (designated Chetak) in the mid-1960s. The Indian Navy procured 14 French Bréguet Br.1050 Alizé in 1960 for carrier operations. The French Turbomeca TM 333 2B2 engine powered the initial HAL Dhruv, later replaced by the Shakti engine, which was jointly developed by HAL and Turbomeca. TM 333 2M2 powers HAL Cheetal and Chetan, upgraded versions of the Cheetah and Chetak, respectively.

India bought the Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft (DPSA) in the late 1970s; albeit, the contract was serviced by the British. IAF built and upgraded many Jaguars and continues to fly significant numbers even today.

Finally, the IAF bought the Mirage 2000 that was inducted in 1984. It was the first relaxed stability fly-by-wire aircraft with active controls technology to be inducted into the IAF. It also brought a modern Air Interception (AI) radar with look-down/shoot-down capabilities and the first BVR missile, the Super R530.

Later, the all-aspect Magic 2 missile changed the dynamics of close combat. IAF also got the first comprehensive EW suite on any aircraft with a self-protection jammer, RWR, chaff and flare dispenser, an escort jammer and an Elint Pod. The aircraft was later upgraded to the Mirage 2000-5 Mk 2 standards, extending its useful life for another 20–25 years. The upgrade included new avionics, a glass cockpit, and helmet-mounted displays.

Rafale Was the MMRCA Winner

The IAF needed additional medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). The aircraft in the fray for this Indian tender were the Lockheed Martin F-16C/D, Mikoyan MiG-35, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The 126 aircraft were to fill the gap between the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and the in-service Sukhoi Su-30MKI air superiority fighter. Rafale was the winner in both technical and life-cycle cost terms. Only 36 were finally bought.

The 4.5 Generation Rafale Aircraft

The twin-engine delta-wing fighter aircraft is an omni-role fighter with frontal-stealth capabilities. It can simultaneously undertake air supremacy, interdiction, reconnaissance, and the airborne nuclear deterrent missions. Rafale was inducted into the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations in the French Navy in 2000. Rafale has been used in combat over Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq, Syria, and in the recent Op Sindoor. The aircraft uses digital fly-by-wire controls and has a very high level of agility. The aircraft’s canards improve aerodynamic performance. The Rafale’s glass cockpit was designed around the principle of data fusion that prioritises information display to pilots. The primary flight controls are arranged in a hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS)-compatible configuration.

The Rafale also features an advanced avionics suite. The passive front-sector electro-optical system can operate both in the visible and infrared wavelengths. The total value of the radar, electronic communications and self-protection equipment is about 30 per cent of the cost of the entire aircraft. The Rafale features an integrated electronic survival system named SPECTRA, which protects the aircraft against airborne and ground threats. The system incorporates a radar warning receiver, laser warning, Missile Approach Warning (MAW) for threat detection, plus a phased array radar jammer and a decoy dispenser for threat countering. Areos all-weather, night-and-day-capable reconnaissance system used on the Rafale has the ability to transmit information such as images in real-time to ground stations. The RBE2 AA active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar has a range of 200 km.

The 36 aircraft, worth €7.87 billion (Rs 58,891 crore), in the government-to-government (G2G) Rafale deal included 28 single-seat and eight twin-seat aircraft. The deal included tailor-made IAF-specific enhancements, including the integration of an Israeli helmet-mounted display (HMD), radar warning receivers and low-band jammers. It included a weapons package and a performance-based logistics agreement.

The aircraft’s 14 hardpoints can carry a 9,500 kg external load. The air-to-air missiles include Matra Magic II, MBDA MICA IR or EM, and MBDA Meteor. Meteor is an active radar-guided BVRAAM that offers multi-shot capability against long-range manoeuvring jets, UAVs and cruise missiles in a heavy electronic countermeasures (ECM) environment with a range of around 180 kilometres. The no-escape zone of over 60 km is the largest among air-to-air missiles, according to the manufacturer.

India also procured SCALP air-to-ground cruise missiles. Subsequently, the HAMMER (highly agile modular munition extended range) glide bomb was bought. The Indian Rafale is a modified version of the F3R standard. The two squadrons are located at two different airbases. Both these airbases have infrastructure and capacity for an additional squadron each. The French have already tested the F4 variant with upgraded radar; the improved HMDS and OSF (long-range optoelectronics system) will add IRST for detecting and identifying airborne stealth targets at long range. It will be more effective in network-centric warfare, with more data exchange and satellite communication capacity. The F5 variant is also evolving.

Make-in-India Rafale: Win-Win for India and France

The Indian Navy has just ordered 26 Rafale-Ms, and the French Air and Space Force and Navy have a combined order for 286. Other operators with confirmed orders are IAF (36), Croatia (12), Egypt (54), Qatar (36), UAE (50), Indonesia (42), and Serbia (12). More orders are on the way. The current production rate is 25 aircraft a year. It will take nearly 10 years to meet existing orders. France desperately needs another production line. Production in India will be for all global customers. India’s capability to make global-class aerostructures has been proven with cabins of the Apache AH-64, the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter and the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. India also makes Lockheed Martin F-16 wings. India makes the entire indigenous LCA. Making the Rafale in India will work out much cheaper for France.

114 Rafale for IAF—Best Way Ahead

Traditionally India and France have been enjoying an exceptionally warm relationship, which is the fruit of deep affinities and the unwavering trust between the two countries since India’s independence. France is considered the most reliable Western “friend”. France has never imposed any sanctions or tried to arm-twist India. IAF regularly carries out the Garuda series of air exercises with the French Air and Space Force (FASF).

The IAF is already down to 29 fighter squadrons vis-à-vis the authorised 42.5. India has a two-front war threat. IAF urgently needs more fighter squadrons. The case for 114 “Make in India” fighters has finally started moving. Rafale is a tried and tested aircraft. India has already paid for one-time India-specific enhancements. We have spare capacity at existing IAF Rafale bases to take more squadrons. There is 95 per cent commonality between the IAF and Navy Rafale.

Most recent aircraft deals have all been G2G. Rafale has already been a winner of a contest in which similar competing aircraft were involved. India already has a large variety of fighter fleets. Multiple fleets are a logistic nightmare. To save time, it would be prudent to acquire 114 Rafale 4.5 generation aircraft.

Initially India would make mostly the fuselage airframe. As we go along, more sub-parts and components will be manufactured. If India chooses to make 114 Rafales for the IAF, the make-in-India order numbers, along with the Navy, would go up to 140.

India could thus insist on making the entire aircraft in India. With France supporting India’s indigenous aero-engine, all blocks are in place. It will make better economic sense for India to acquire Rafale and acquire the latest variant, F4, in a G2G deal and make it in India in larger numbers to amortise costs.

The writer is former Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.