New Delhi: Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) is said to have inked a deal with France’s Dassault to manufacture the fuselage of the Rafale fighter aircraft in India, Reuters has reported. This is the first time that this part of the aircraft will be produced outside France.
Defence analysts wonder if this could be the first step towards the licenced production of the entire aircraft in India. TASL is already in the process of assembling and manufacturing Airbus medium-lift tactical C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
As per Reuters, Tata will set up a production facility in the southern city of Hyderabad to manufacture key structural sections of the Rafale as part of the agreement, the companies said in a statement.
The first fuselage sections are expected to roll off the assembly line in the 2028 fiscal, with the facility expected to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month, they said.
The statement did not say how much the deal was worth nor whether the finished products would be for domestic use or export, but TASL has posted on X that the fuselage would be “for India and other global markets”.
The IAF now has 36 Rafale fighters. India has also signed a deal with France – its second-largest arms supplier – to buy 26 naval versions of the jets for US $ 7 billion, which are expected to be delivered by 2030.
This deal certainly brings a new twist to things after claims by Pakistan and a section of the Western media that the IAF lost Rafale aircraft during its four-day military conflict with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Neither Pakistan, nor members of the Western media have been able to provide any evidence though.
The Indian armed forces have hinted at losses, but have not specified whether any Rafales were downed.
