Rafale fighter aircraft body to be made in India, important agreement between these two companies

There has been a significant agreement over producing the Rafale fighter jets in India. A deal (Tata Advanced Systems Dassault agreement) has been signed between the France-based company Dassault Aviation and the India-based Tata Advanced Systems to produce the fuselage of the combat jets. It is the first time that the fuselages of the Rafale combat jets are being produced outside of France. Fuselage is regarded as high-precision manufacturing.

The body of an aircraft is called a fuselage. It is a kind of tube that keeps all the parts of the aircraft together. The size of the fuselage is decided according to the mission of the aircraft. For example, the fuselage (ie body) of a normal passenger aircraft is wide so that a larger number of people can sit in it. The body of a supersonic fighter aircraft is thin.

According to media reports, under this agreement, the Tata Group company, Tata Advanced Systems, will set up a state-of-the-art production facility in Hyderabad. Here, the rear fuselage, central fuselage, and entire rear and front parts of the Rafale fighter aircraft will be made. Production is expected to start in this plant in the financial year 2027-28. Two fuselages will be made here every month.

Rafale's fuselages are made of advanced composite materials and lightweight alloys. They are also very strong. Fuselage manufacturing requires features like complex precision engineering, stealth features. This plant will also help in increasing India's aerospace exports.

Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of French company Dassault Aviation, said that this is an important step towards strengthening the company's supply chain in India. Tata Advanced Systems CEO and Managing Director Sukaran Singh said that this partnership is an important step in India's aerospace journey. Manufacturing all the fuselages of Rafale in India shows the growing confidence in the capabilities of Tata Advanced Systems. This also shows India's progress in the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem.