Rafale's radar components to be made in India

France-headquartered technology major Thales has awarded a contract to SFO Technologies, Kochi, to make wired structures of the radar used by Rafale jets of the Indian Air Force.

A statement by Thales said the contract awarded was for the production of high-value, technically advanced complex wired structures of the ‘RBE2’ Radar of the Indian Rafale. The jet uses a radar classified as active electronically scanned array (AESA) and is the latest in technology.

This is the first major order for high-value, technologically advanced complex wired structures —designed to withstand harsh environmental constraints— to be produced in India for the Dassault Aviation Rafale programme, the Thales said.

The move supports India’s strategic localisation goals, expanding expertise from precision machining and wiring to complex systems integration. The Make in India strategy for the localisation of advanced radar systems, is expected to boost local manufacturing capabilities for critical Rafale sub-systems supplied to the Indian armed forces.