France’s Dassault Aviation and India’s Tata Advanced Systems have announced a partnership to manufacture the fuselage of the Rafale fighter aircraft in India, marking the first time the aircraft will be produced outside of France. The companies revealed their plans on Thursday, highlighting India’s ambition to increase domestic production and enhance defense exports, which saw a 12% rise to $2.76 billion in the last fiscal year.
Tata will establish a production facility in Hyderabad to manufacture crucial structural components of the Rafale as part of the agreement. The first fuselage sections are anticipated to be completed in the 2028 financial year, with the facility aiming to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month.
While the exact value of the deal was not disclosed, Tata Advanced Systems mentioned that the fuselage production would cater to both India’s requirements and other global markets. Currently, the Indian Air Force operates 36 Rafale fighters and has also signed a contract with France to procure 26 naval versions of the jets for $7 billion, expected to be delivered by 2030.
India’s push to modernize its military forces and bolster domestic weapons manufacturing is driven by the need to enhance its defense capabilities against neighboring countries like Pakistan and China. Recent clashes between India and Pakistan saw the use of fighter jets, with Pakistan’s defense minister claiming to have shot down three Indian Rafale jets during the conflict, though no evidence was provided.
An unnamed U.S. official suggested that at least one downed Indian aircraft was a Rafale, but Dassault Aviation refrained from commenting on the matter. India’s chief of defense staff acknowledged losses in the air during the clashes but refrained from providing specific details. The collaboration between Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems represents a significant step towards India’s goal of strengthening its defense sector and reducing its dependence on foreign arms imports.
