Rafale jets are coming! Indian skies await for fighter jets from France, to have `Made in India’ component

The aircraft which are arriving later this month have onboard engine door manufactured in a facility in Nagpur under the `Make in India’ initiative.

End of July five French fighters from Dassault Aviation `Rafale’ will be entering the Indian airspace. Since the aircraft are arriving amidst border tensions between India and China, post-arrival, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has plans to focus on operationalisation of the aircraft at the earliest. Though the aircraft are expected to be inducted on July 29 at the Air Force Station, Ambala, according to a top officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF), “The day or timing for the induction is all dependent on the weather conditions as the monsoon rains have arrived in North India.”

And, “Around August 20, the five fighters from France will be formally inducted at a ceremony.”

As has been reported earlier by Financial Express Online earlier, the IAF aircrew and ground crew have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly advanced weapons systems.

Made in India Components

According to sources” While the first set of Rafale may come with all French components, future deliveries will have AESA radar, EW suite and many other parts made in India. Reliance Thales Defense Systems has already delivered AESA radars for Rafale aircraft, the only facility in India manufacturing most advanced radars in country. Similarly, Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd has been supplying components for Rafale fighters, along with large aerostructures for Falcon, all part of Atmanirbhar India.”

“What is interesting is the level of indigenisation achieved within a short period of time on Rafale with a small order of 36 aircraft. In comparison, ELTA of Israel, even with confirmed orders for 40 LCA aircraft for many years now has struggled with any meaningful localisation,” said the source.

The aircraft which are arriving later this month have onboard engine door manufactured in a facility in Nagpur under the `Make in India’ initiative.

Confirming this to Financial Express Online, a company official said “The Rafale engine doors are being manufactured in the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL).”

The facility in Nagpur is a 15000 square meters and even the cockpit front section of the Falcon 2000 business jet is being manufactured here. There are talks going on to increase the manufacturing of more components for the fighter jets at the facility where Dassault Aviation has played a crucial role in setting up a state-of-art manufacturing facilities with cutting edge technologies.

Efforts are on to expand the list of components to be made in India which is in line with the company’s policy to help India in building up a healthy aerospace manufacturing eco-system which will be for both the military as well as the civil aircraft. This will position India in the global aerospace market.

There are also plans to assemble the Rafale here in India as well as making components for global customers at the facility in Nagpur which will undergo further expansion.

India has ordered 36 fighter aircraft from the French Company out of which five are arriving later this month. The first aircraft was handed over to the defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Paris last September.