New Delhi: Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) have announced landmark production transfer agreements that could mark a crucial step toward fulfilling the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) future requirement of 114 multi-role fighters. This partnership aims to ease current manufacturing pressures on the Rafale fighter, which is already in high demand globally.
The IAF’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program, launched in 2018 to replenish its shrinking squadron strength, has seen slow progress amid a growing gap between operational needs and delivery timelines from international manufacturers. Even if a fresh order were placed immediately, the first jets would take at least five years to arrive, given existing production constraints. The massive contract, potentially worth over $25 billion, includes contenders such as the Rafale, Sweden’s Gripen-E, Lockheed Martin’s F-21, Boeing’s F-18EX Eagle II, Eurofighter Typhoon, Russian Sukhoi 35, and Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F.
The Dassault-TASL deal could be a game-changer in this context. The two companies described their four production transfer agreements as a “significant step towards strengthening the country’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities and supporting global supply chains.” The investment will establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub in Hyderabad dedicated to producing key Rafale structural components, including lateral shells of the rear fuselage, central fuselage, and front sections. The facility is expected to start rolling out fuselage segments by 2028, targeting a production rate of two complete fuselages per month. Final assembly will remain at Dassault’s plant near Bordeaux, France.
This partnership comes as Dassault faces a considerable backlog of approximately 220 Rafale orders worldwide, including 164 export orders from countries like Indonesia, Serbia, and the UAE, alongside a recent Indian Navy order for 26 carrier-based Rafale-M jets. At current production rates—25 Rafales this year, up from 21 in 2024—it could take seven to ten years to clear this backlog, assuming a substantial increase in manufacturing capacity. The Indian Navy expects to receive its first Rafale-M by mid-2028, with deliveries completed by 2030.
The IAF currently operates about 31 squadrons, well below its authorized strength of 42 squadrons of 18 aircraft each, leaving it underprepared to defend India’s borders, especially along Pakistan and China. The 2015 cancellation of the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender resulted in just 36 Rafales being procured through a government-to-government deal with France.
IAF pilots endorse the Rafale’s advanced capabilities, highlighting its superior sensor integration, cockpit interface, and weapon systems as significant advantages. Two Rafale squadrons are currently based at Ambala in Punjab and Hasimara in West Bengal. During recent Operation Sindoor, Rafales reportedly launched SCALP air-launched cruise missiles, known for their stealth and precision strike capability.
In a related development, the Indian Navy’s $7.6 billion deal for 26 Rafale fighters, preferred over Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F after extensive testing, underscores the growing strategic reliance on the platform.
The Dassault-TASL production transfer agreements are poised to not only accelerate Rafale production for India but also bolster its aerospace manufacturing ecosystem, potentially influencing international supply chains and future fighter acquisitions for the IAF.
