Dassault, Tata to make Rafale fuselage in India

Adding to India’s military aviation capabilities, French major Dassault Aviation today signed an agreement with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd for the transfer of technology, enabling manufacturing of fuselage of the Rafale fighter aircraft in India.

Dassault is set to be the fourth major global aviation company with which Tata will partner in military aviation. It is already working with US companies Lockheed Martin and Boeing, besides the European Airbus.

The Dassault-Tata production from India will be part of the Dassault Aviation’s global supply chain for the Rafale jets. A statement by Dassault issued from France said “Tata will set up a cutting-edge production facility in Hyderabad for the manufacture of key structural sections of the Rafale, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage and the front section.”

“The first fuselage sections are expected to roll off the assembly line in FY28, with the facility expected to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month,” Dassault said.

Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, said, “For the first time, Rafale fuselages will be produced outside France”. Sukaran Singh, CEO and MD, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, said, “This reflects the remarkable progress India has made in establishing a modern, robust aerospace manufacturing ecosystem that can support global platforms.”

Apart from France and India, the Rafale — a 4.5th generation fighter aircraft — is deployed in, or is on order, from countries, including Indonesia, Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, Greece, Croatia, and Serbia.

The IAF uses the Rafale. The Navy has ordered the marine version of the jet and these are to be inducted by 2030 as part of the Rs 63,000-crore deal between India and France inked in April this year. The deal included provisions for technology transfer and the establishment of maintenance and production facilities in India.

Meanwhile, the Dassault-Tata tie-up is the fourth such agreement for Tata. The company is working with US giant Lockheed Martin to make wings of the F-16 fighter jet and also the empennages (tail section) for the C-130J aircraft in India for global supplies at its facility in Hyderabad. A maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for the C-130J is being set up in Bengaluru.

Tata is working with Boeing to make the fuselage of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter at another facility in Hyderabad. The 300th fuselage of the copter was produced in India in February this year. These fuselages are made for customers worldwide.

Tata and Airbus have set up a final assembly line for making the Airbus C295 planes at Vadodara, Gujarat. This is the first private sector aircraft assembly in India. The first “Make in India” C295 will roll out of the Vadodara FAL in September 2026.