India to become largest operator of Rafale Fighter Jets

The Indian Navy and Dassault Aviation are close to finalising the deal for 26 Rafale M Fighters. The French Aerospace maker hopes that India could become the second largest operator of Rafale Fighter jets if it wins the contract to supply 114 Fighters under Medium Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA).

Dassault Aviation is setting up a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility in Uttar Pradesh to support French-origin Fighter jets in the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF operates 50 Mirage-2000 aircraft inducted in the 1980s and 36 Rafale Fighter aircraft inducted in the last few years.

If Dassault Aviation’s optimism becomes reality and it bags the mother of all Defense deals – the contract to supply 114 MRFA to the IAF, India’s Rafale fleet could expand to 176 jets. In comparison, the French Air Force operates 185 Rafales, and the French Navy has 46 in service.

The Indian Navy’s requirement could also increase, if its second Aircraft Carrier enters service before the Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter that the Defence Research and Development Organisation is working on.

Dassault’s projections for 2040 include expectations that the Indian Navy could surpass the French Navy to become the largest operator of Rafale M Fighters.

(Eura Asian Times)

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