Rafale: HAL, Dassault Agree on Workshare for Local Manufacture

Rafale at Aero India 2011. Photo Credit: Vijainder K Thakur

NDTV on March 3, 2014 reported that India and France have agreed on a work share agreement for the manufacture of 108 Rafales in India. HAL will do 70 per cent of the work on the 108 planes that will be manufactured in India. Dassault would do the rest of the work.

The first 18 aircraft ( 12 single-seaters and 6 tandem seaters) would be delivered to India by Dassault in fly-away condition. The IAF will raise its first Rafale squadron in Ambala using the 18 aircraft.

HAL will license manufacture the remaining 108 Rafales comprising 74 single-seaters and 34 tanden-seaters - 11 using semi-knocked down (SKD) kits, 31 using completely knocked down (CKD) kits, and 66 made from indigenously manufactured kits (IMK).

Rafale's radar would be manufactured by Bharat-Electronics Ltd (BEL) in Bangalore, and its radome at a new HAL facility close the BEL facility in Bangalore. 

India is negotiating a sovereign guarantee from France that Dassault will supply, service and maintain the Rafales over the next 40 years. 

In addition to the aircraft, the contract includes supply of two Rafale-specific full-motion tactical simulators, two fixed-base cockpit procedures trainers, two avionics part-task trainers, one aircraft systems maintenance simulator, one navigation-and-attack system maintenance simulator, and one engine maintenance simulator.

IDP Sentinel can view more details at the link Rafale (IDP Sentinel)