Need more numbers to make Rafale in India, says Dassault Aviation CEO

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

Bengaluru, February 15  

Even as delivery of the newly acquired Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft, the Rafale, is scheduled to commence from September 2019, the makers of Rafale, the Dassault Aviation France, are expecting a bigger order to supplement their ‘make in India’ efforts.

Last year, India ordered 36 twin-engine Rafale jets for 7.8 billion euros, the first major induction since the Sukhoi-30 jets first started coming in batches since 1997.

Éric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, while speaking on the sidelines of the 11th edition of the Aero-India said: “We are pushing for more orders. The existing order of 36 is not big enough to have transfer of technology. Our plan is to be in India. India should be ready to be part of the global supply market.”

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The company, he said, was in race for the additional twin-engined fighter jets needed by the IAF as well as the Navy requirement of 57 jets for ship-deck-based operations. On Tuesday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had announced that 300-400 jets (single-engine and twin-engine) are needed by the IAF over the next 10 years.   

On being asked what could be an ideal number for making in India, Trappier pointed to the original tender that was for 126 twin-engine jets. “It will be good if we get an order of some 200, including 36 of the existing IAF order and the Navy needs,” Trappier said in an interaction with a select media group. We need to know how many more we get. On being asked if what will be cost reduction for India, Trappier said, “That will be fresh negotiation.”

“We are today signing a joint venture with Reliance (Anil Ambani group) for the make in India for military and well and civil aircraft,” Trappier said. “We have chosen Reliance as our existing partner, the HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited), was busy with existing commitments,” the company CEO said.