Rafale’s Make-in-India plans get shot in the arm
Rafale’s Make-in-India plans get shot in the arm
Dassault Aviation SA is in the process of acquiring land near Jewar international airport for a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for India’s Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighters
French Aviation major Dassault Aviation SA is in the process of acquiring land near Jewar international airport for a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for India’s Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighters, setting the stage for the local manufacturing of latest versions of Rafale fighters in the country to meet the Indian Air Force’s long-pending requirement of around 100 twin-engine multi-role fighters that will be needed over the next two decades, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Notwithstanding the political ferment in France – the French far-right front National Rally won the first round of voting for the National Assembly, with 33% of the votes, ahead of the ruling coalition’s 20% – the Emmanuel Macron government and Dassault have offered in writing to manufacture Rafale fighters in India under the “Make in India” rubric with locally sourced components to meet IAF’s demand, the two people added, asking not to be named. This comes even as engine maker Safran SA is setting up a MRO facility to handle Rafale fighter engines (if numbers are enough) at Hyderabad adjacent to the company’s LEAP engine facility for civilian aircraft, which will be ready by 2025. Safran, the people added, has conveyed that if there is a Rafale order for IAF, it is willing to manufacture the M-88 engines in India.
Given that HAL’s LCA Mark II with GE-414 engines, which will replace the Mirage 2000, will not be ready before the middle of the next decade, the Rafale fighter will not only meet India’s requirement but also allow India to export the same fighters to third countries. Dassault has already started sourcing titanium parts from Indian companies to build Rafale fighter jets and plans to add more local suppliers to its supply chain.
Manufacturing Rafale fighter jets in India is a win-win situation for the two close allies, and Dassault already has orders for around 300 fighter jets from Croatia, Greece, Serbia, Egypt, Qatar, the UAE and Indonesia, the two people said. It does not have the capacity to produce more aircraft for India. The company is also in talks with Saudi Arabia for the supply of fighter jets, with the French Air Force having requested 42 more Rafales from Saudi Arabia. The IAF already operates 36 Rafale fighter jets equipped with Hummer and Scalp missiles, and the Indian Navy is currently negotiating prices for 26 Maritime Strike Rafales for its aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. India has already set up a maintenance workshop, repair, training and simulators for the Rafales at its Ambala airbase.
With the development time for fighter jets and engines spanning decades, the Modi government is also confident of France's robust licensing policy, which will ensure no problems arise. Like Russia, France has been supplying India since 1953's Toufani fighter planes.
The officials added that Safran is also keen to enter into a joint venture with an Indian company to make engines for the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH), so that India does not have to rely on third countries for urgently needed supplies.
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July 02, 2024 at 05:01PM