India Eyes $24 Billion Deal for 114 Made-in-India Rafale Jets to Bolster Air Force. India & France to sign landmark defence deal. DRDO & French aerospace giant to co-build indigenous jet.
Defence Ministry receives proposal from India Air Force for BUYING 114 'Made in India' Rafale fighter jets. (ANI)
Dassault offer is Simple
> They Assemble it at DRAL
> They Procure Entire Made in India Fuselage from TASL
> Safran will assemble M-88 in India and also have MRO for it
> Rafale F4 Configuration with Indian ISE
> Future MUMT Upgrade
> Availability to Switch to 120kN engine in near Future
> Indian Weapons Package that will have Astra Family and Rudram Family.
> 3 Years to start Production from Indian Plant.
> 20 jets per Year once Production picks up.
India Eyes $24 Billion Deal for 114 Made-in-India Rafale Jets to Bolster Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has formally submitted a proposal to the Defence Ministry to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets, in a deal valued at over Rs 2 lakh crore (approximately $24 billion).
These jets will be produced under the Make in India initiative, with French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation partnering with Indian firms such as Tata Advanced Systems and Reliance.
The plan includes at least 60 percent indigenous content, reflecting a strong push for local manufacturing and self-reliance in defense production.
Assembly of the jets is slated to take place in Nagpur, with Tata manufacturing the fuselages while Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities for the Rafale’s French-built Safran M-88 engines will be established in Hyderabad. The jets will feature India-specific upgrades under the F4 standard, including locally developed weapons systems and radars.
This acquisition would significantly expand India’s Rafale fleet, which currently includes 36 jets in the Air Force and 26 for the Navy. The deal is intended to address the squadron shortfall in the IAF, which currently ranges from 30 to 42 squadrons, while older aircraft such as MiG-21s have been retired and others like Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 jets are nearing retirement.
The proposal follows the Rafale’s successful operational performance during Operation Sindoor, where the jets demonstrated superior electronic warfare capabilities, outmatching Chinese PL-15 missiles through their advanced Spectra electronic warfare suite.
The new jets are also expected to carry longer-range air-to-ground missiles, exceeding the range of the current Scalp missiles that have been used effectively in previous strikes.
Dassault plans to set up an MRO facility in Hyderabad to service Rafale M-88 engines, complementing production activities and maintenance already ongoing in India.
Indian companies, notably Tata Advanced Systems, will play a prominent role in manufacturing and assembly, further boosting local aerospace capabilities.
While the deal promises to enhance India’s air power and strategic autonomy, some critics caution that the massive allocation could stretch domestic research and development budgets for other defense projects.
Nevertheless, with an urgent need to modernize its fleet amid regional security challenges, the IAF views this acquisition as crucial to maintaining air dominance in the years to come.
In parallel, the IAF continues to develop indigenous aircraft, including the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark 1A, of which 180 units are on order, and the future Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) for next-generation capabilities.
This proposal, once approved, will become India’s largest defense deal, raising the total number of Rafale jets across Indian defence services to 176 and marking a major step towards modernizing and indigenizing India’s air force fleet.
Explain the F4 configuration upgrades and India-specific systems
The F4 upgrades are expected to keep the Rafale relevant and highly effective for at least the next 10-15 years, enhancing India’s air dominance with better detection, tracking, engagement range, and survivability.
The combination of cutting-edge technologies and local manufacturing boosts strategic autonomy while addressing emerging threats and complex combat scenarios.
In summary, the Rafale F4 configuration is a comprehensive bundle of software, hardware, and weapons system enhancements designed to significantly uplift the Indian Air Force’s operational capability and modernize its fighter fleet with India-specific customizations.
How feasible is upgrading existing IAF F3R Rafales to F4 in India
Upgrading the Indian Air Force’s existing Rafale F3R jets to the more advanced F4 configuration is considered highly feasible and practical.
Dassault Aviation, the Rafale’s manufacturer, has confirmed that the F4 upgrade package is designed to be backward compatible with the F3R fleet already in service with India.
This means the current 36 IAF Rafales can be modernized to the F4 standard without requiring a complete rebuild or new aircraft.
The upgrade process is expected to be relatively quick and efficient, with Dassault officials suggesting the conversion can be done at the squadron level in about a week.
This allows the IAF to maintain operational readiness while gradually incorporating the new technologies and systems offered by the F4 configuration.
Key factors making the upgrade feasible include:
Modular Software and Hardware Upgrades: The F4 upgrade involves updating avionics, radar (enhanced AESA RBE2 radar), electronic warfare systems (improved SPECTRA suite), sensor packages, communications (software-defined radios and satellite links), and pilot aids such as the new helmet-mounted display.
These systems are designed for integration with the existing airframe and core systems on the F3R Rafales.
Use of Existing Ground Support and MRO Facilities: Since the IAF already operates the F3R variant, the ground infrastructure, training, and maintenance ecosystem can adapt smoothly to support F4 capabilities. The ongoing development of local assembly and MRO facilities will also ease transformation.
Reduced Time and Cost: Compared to procuring brand-new F4 jets, upgrading the current fleet is cost-effective and faster, allowing for a phased enhancement of combat capabilities.
Strategic Planning: The upgrade ensures that the IAF can deploy a homogeneous and modern fleet in the near term while new "Made in India" Rafale jets equipped with F4 features are produced.
Overall, the backward compatibility of the Rafale F4 upgrade makes it a practical and effective way to significantly enhance the capabilities of the existing Indian Rafale fleet, extending its combat relevance for the next decade and beyond without major operational disruptions.
