Vayusena & Nausena Rafale: News & Discussion

[Rakesh]

...
TEDBF does not make sense anymore with the arrival of the Rafale M. The numbers of TEDBF being built will be paltry with 57 Rafale Ms in service. The better option is to move to a VLO platform i.e. naval AMCA. The moment the navy ordered the Rafale M, the TEDBF was done. 26 Rafale Ms killed the TEDBF and another 31 will dig a hole to bury the TEDBF.

Admiral saab i fear that the additional Rafale Ms will do more than dig a hole to bury the TEDBF. They, like the mirage 2000 before it, are a step-ladder over the path to the next french filly - the NGF - FCAS/SCAF - which will be yet another hedge to the AMCA.

Interesting you mention that, because some X accounts are claiming that post Rafale, the IAF will skip AMCA and jump straight to FCAS.

X is a strange world, if you can survive the brickbats

[Rakesh]

The supposed advantage of French intel and therefore their hardware, and this has been publicly alluded to by independent external sources, is it's exceptional ELINT, supposedly even better than the Americans, and that's saying something.
....
Otherwise, it is as Indranil suggests. A coping mechanism. The Rafale will not be able manage any 5gen bird in a bvr scenario. Not the f35, f22, j20, j35 nor su57. It's just tall copium and hopium..

It is my understanding that the Rafale was designed to operate in conjunction with other NATO combat aircraft and not solo. She is certainly a capable bird, but a VLO bird she is not. And thus there will be limitations in that area.

In the Indian scenario, the Rafale is being designed as the tip of the spear. How effective that spear will be against the Chinese, is the penultimate question. I do not believe Air HQ operates in kamikaze mode and willfully sends her pilots to their death. So they obviously see utility in the Rafale, that OSINT enthusiasts do not have access to. And you indicated that in your post.

However, the lack of a true 5th gen fighter for the IAF will be a handicap. The only effective 5th gen fighter is out of India's hands, geopolitically. AMCA is at minimum 15 years away. I have zero faith in HAL actually delivering anything on time, so I don't believe in any timelines they provide. All of the next decade and a good chunk of the 2040s will see the IAF operate without a VLO platform. And that is worrisome.

[Manish_P]

...
Interesting you mention that, because some X accounts are claiming that post Rafale, the IAF will skip AMCA and jump straight to FCAS.

IMVHO the IAF will not skip AMCA. They will also ask for the FCAS.

Whether it will be considered the follow up to the Rafales or the complement to the AMCA will depend on the numbers.

...
X is a strange world, if you can survive the brickbats

So is this forum... at times

[S_Madhukar]

...
Interesting you mention that, because some X accounts are claiming that post Rafale, the IAF will skip AMCA and jump straight to FCAS.

IMVHO the IAF will not skip AMCA. They will also ask for the FCAS.

Whether it will be considered the follow up to the Rafales or the complement to the AMCA will depend

Sounds like the usual Nth Gen aircraft will be foreign and N-1 Gen aircraft Made/Assembled in India policy of IAF… looking at procurement timelines won’t change till 2050.
We should really go full on for 6th Gen Made in India now but be ready psychologically to be ambushed by the AF new foreign bird dreams in 2040s

[Manish_P]

Sounds like the usual Nth Gen aircraft will be foreign and N-1 Gen aircraft Made/Assembled in India policy of IAF… looking at procurement timelines won’t change till 2050.
...

Without indigenous turbofan engine, imports are inevitable. Balancing of Russia, France and the US will continue. We have played the game in the past and we will continue to do so. We will be able to dictate terms after we make our own engines. Like we call the shots in cricket now unlike being mere players of the 60s-80s.

[ashthor]

Germany done, France (signing remaining) done. What is the next shiny maal to be imported? May be the army is feeling left out.

[Rakesh]

Germany done, France (signing remaining) done. What is the next shiny maal to be imported? May be the army is feeling left out.

German deal not signed as of yet.

And the India-France joint statement (https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-docume ... ry_17_2026) indicates that additional Scorpenes *COULD* happen. See point 16 in the link provided.

[Rakesh]

Rakesh ji, How will Rafale purchase help us build indigenous engine?

Uddu ji, how will importing F404 and F414 engines help us build indigenous engine?

We are waiting on promises from GE to get Tejas flying, literally and figuratively.

I keep saying this and will repeat again ---> if India has $35 billion for 114 Rafales, then money is not an issue to complete the Kaveri. But there is not a soul at the PMO or the MoD or at Air HQ that wants to move in that direction. This is not about money, but about priorities.

The lack of engine development is the reason why we are importing 114 Rafales or whatever other foreign MRFA that comes.

All your suggestions are leading to one thing. Engines. For sure. But what has engines do with the Rafale imports? You seems to suggest, we need engines, but is totally against utilizing and continuing with our own aircrafts with imported engines for the time being (That's because we have no choice).

How will you utilize the existing aircraft if it does not come with engines, as shown in the picture that was posted earlier?

How will you utilize the existing aircraft when Unkil stops the flow of critical components to keep the engine serviceable?

The entire Atmanirbharta strategy of using Tejas to bolster the number of squadrons rests in the hands of Unkil. Even the future platforms (TEDBF, ORCA, AMCA, etc) are all being planned around GE powered turbofans. This is supposed to be Atmanirbharta and we celebrate it!

Whatever engines are aviable, use that and fly our fighters for half a decade or so until Kaveri gets ready and we could fly it on our fighters. This is what I am suggesting. Rafale import will not help us with anything. Or you are suggesting is that, forget about our fighters. Let's keep importing rafale till 2040, when the joint venture engines are ready. Is that so Sirji?

We have a shortage of 13+ squadrons right now (29 versus 42). By time all the 180 Tejas Mk1As (~ 9 squadrons) get inducted by the middle of the next decade; the 3 MiG-29, 2.5 Mirage 2000 and ~ 6 squadrons of Jaguars will have all been retired or will be close to retiring. Post the retirement of these aircraft, the squadron strength will dip to around 26 squadrons.

By the mid-2030s, the Tejas Mk2 will just have begun to enter production. What should the IAF do to address the gap between now and when the Tejas Mk2 is inducted in numbers enough to make a difference? There are 99 F414 turbofans in negotiations right now between India and the US. That is around five squadrons worth of Tejas Mk2. Anything above that is only a plan and not set in stone. Now since we do not have our own turbofan and the IAF needs numbers....what aircraft will we fill it with, if Unkil decides to go rogue and/or if the MRFA deal is cancelled?

Had there been a home grown F414-equivalent existed in India, the Govt could have ordered 200 Tejas Mk2 (or even more) and scaled up production of both the airframe and the turbofan. From around 15 - 20 aircraft a year, you could potentially do around 35 - 40 aircraft a year. Because everything on the Tejas Mk2 would be Indian ----> airframe, sensors, weapons, radar and engine. There is no handicap of relying on a foreign OEM to overcome, on a critical subsystem such as an engine. When India has her own turbofan, any foreign MRFA is pointless.

Even the IAF - which veers towards imports - wants the AMCA Mk2 to have a turbofan that has its IP within the country. They should have just continued with GE turbofans, just like with the Tejas Mk1, the Tejas Mk1A and the Tejas Mk2. In an ideal world, France should have lost the MRFA contest and Unkil would have sold India 150 to 200 F-16s or F-15s and all with GE-powered turbofans. It would have made ample sense, because our entire Atmanirbharta strategy of Tejas, TEDBF, ORCA and AMCA Mk1 rests on GE-powered turbofans. But it did not pan out that way. Have you ever wondered why?

Q. Why is it on official Govt record (the Comptroller & Auditor General report on MMRCA 1.0) that the IAF was uneasy in inducting F-16s into their fighter fleet for fear of future sanctions?

Q. Why did the IAF not jump at the F-35, when the Trump administration offered it to India in Feb 2025? It would have been a force multiplier for the IAF and would be more than enough against the J-20 and J-35 of the PLAAF?

You have to factor in all variables and not live in an utopian world where everything will be geopolitically a-okay with the US. And the same holds true for any nation that India partners with. But if you take a look at the post-1947 relationships that India has had with the world, there is a consistent pattern of Unkil going rogue on India or being hostile to India's interests. The number of times Unkil has proven to be unreliable towards India is not something to be taken lightly. There is a 100% reliability of Communist China being India's enemy. There is a 0% reliability of Unkil being India's friend.

And for the Chinese and their engines, this is what I found out. They also used Russian engines and even today do so, while they are transitioned to using their engines in their fighters. About 300+ engines made within 2015 is what Wiki saying. And today improved variant in the form of WS-15 being developed. This is the same strategy we can follow. Either American F-404+F414 or French M88 till Kaveri Derivative variant is ready. Start replacing F-404/M88 and it's variants in Tejas MK1. Once it's completed Develop up-rated variant of the Kaveri to power Tejas MK2 and its variants. When Joint venture engine comes use it for AMCA and AMCA MK2+Sixth Gen AMCA MK2 variants.

As per wiki, this is the strength of the PLAAF with their home grown aircraft. Please find out how many foreign engines operate on these aircraft. Click on the links provided and go to the specifications sub-heading located on the left hand side of your screen. Look at the name of the turbofan

• J-8: 400+ [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-8 ]
• J-10: 600+ [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-10 ]
• J-11: 440 [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-11 ]
• J-15: 76+ [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-15 ]
• J-16: 450 [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-16 ]
• J-20: 300 [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chengdu_J-20 ]
• J-35: 57+ [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-35 ]

In contrast to the above, the number of Russian-origin aircraft they operate are;

• Su-27: 32
• Su-30: 97
• Su-35: 24

All twin engine. So around 300+ engines at minimum, as you have stated.

Remember what I stated earlier ---> When India has her own turbofan, any foreign MRFA is pointless. Nearly 2,400 aircraft in the PLAAF all fly with Chinese turbofans. The proof lies in the pudding. But if you do not have your own turbofan, you will import fighters. And if you import the engine, you will still be importing a fighter. To paraphrase Saab's marketing team ---> A fighter is only effective, when she is in the air.

What India needs right now are three low-bypass turbofan programs for the current/future fleet;

• 90 kN: for the Tejas Mk1A, Tejas LIFT (twin seater), Naval Tejas Mk1 (twin seater).

• 100 - 110 kN: for the single engine Tejas Mk2, the 5th Gen TEDBF, the HLFT-42.

• 120 - 130 kN: for the AMCA (5th Gen), 6th Gen fighter and VLO strategic bomber.

This is doable. India has the engineering talent. India has the financial wherewithal. India even has the political will, but it does not exercise it. The question isn't which fighter we buy. It's which engine we can build. Acquisitions are band-aids. Engine programs are SOVEREIGNTY. Making an indigenous fighter engine should be a NATIONAL MISSION. Not a DRDO project. Not a line item. A national priority with the focus, funding, and accountability that demands. One engine, multiple platforms. The more we focus on the aircraft and not on the engine, India will continue to be challenged, as we presently are with the Tejas program. Change that focus to the engine and watch how the rest of the pieces of the puzzle come together. You design an aircraft around an engine and not the other way around.

[Rakesh]

To paraphrase Saab's marketing team ---> A fighter is only effective, when she is in the air.

Instead of putting Best Compliments from HAL in the poster below, they should have put the above line in the poster

https://x.com/idrwalerts/status/2021936 ... 74354?s=20 --->

[drnayar]

Admiral saab i fear that the additional Rafale Ms will do more than dig a hole to bury the TEDBF. They, like the mirage 2000 before it, are a step-ladder over the path to the next french filly - the NGF - FCAS/SCAF - which will be yet another hedge to the AMCA.

Interesting you mention that, because some X accounts are claiming that post Rafale, the IAF will skip AMCA and jump straight to FCAS.

X is a strange world, if you can survive the brickbats

[bala]

This is doable. India has the engineering talent. India has the financial wherewithal. India even has the political will, but it does not exercise it. The question isn't which fighter we buy. It's which engine we can build. Acquisitions are band-aids. Engine programs are SOVEREIGNTY. Making an indigenous fighter engine should be a NATIONAL MISSION. Not a DRDO project. Not a line item. A national priority with the focus, funding, and accountability that demands.

Admiral saar, India is working on Kaveri engine. The issue is MOD babus running the show and putting brakes on testing facilities. The politicos have no idea and nod their head in the direction of babus since babus have complete control over things at least in defence. Only Manohar Parrikar understood the needs and overrode the babus. The issue is breaking the back of babucracy, if India does not reform the IAS, things are pretty much doomed. These fellows write 1 exam and they think they know it all. Moreover their ethical standards are dismal to say the least. At every step of the program in R&D, testing is required to make sure they are on the right path. Any delay causes more time delays and dejection. Add to this attrition in GTRE, since people are disillusioned with the babus throwing up impediments at every turn and corner. The politicos need to 10x budget for R&D, no more lucchabuddhi on the purse strings. Everyone in DRDO is a hero IMO, working hard for pittance and no recognition. Look where we are with missiles. These babus take everything for granted, they need to pull their heads out from whatever orifice they have it under.

[Rakesh]

Admiral saar...

And thus we are importing

[S_Madhukar]

Germany done, France (signing remaining) done. What is the next shiny maal to be imported? May be the army is feeling left out.

Without doing any tech analysis, going purely by brochure as is the SOP in some areas , may I request the Type 10 Japanese tank that weighs 48T full load out , looks like a Leopard, purrs like one, 4th gen fully connected - one that is the lighter Arjun some people will dream of? Bonus points because Khalifa-e-Duniya tried to get hands on its engine but was declined - would love to see his face if we got our hands on it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_10

Appears Lawson combinis will open soon in Bharat, tanks can surely be on the shopping list with a Sando?
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2 ... son-india/

[uddu]

Rakesh ji, How will Rafale purchase help us build indigenous engine?

Uddu ji, how will importing F404 and F414 engines help us build indigenous engine?

Rakesh ji, you are thinking about this or that. I am for all possible options. We need to work on the last mile of completion of Kaveri engine project by making it fly on the Tejas. In the meantime of these 5 years, our fighters need to have engine. We cannot stop the development completely for 5 years.
So import F404 and F414 and also do test the Tejas prototypes be it MK1A and MK2 ones with M88 variants as a safety measure for the Tejas MK1A and if possible consider a variant that will go into the Rafale as well in MK2 variant as well. Otherwise if you are creating a M88-I in engine which is limited production, will again cause issues. These are temporary solutions till our own Kaveri MK2 project is sanctioned on the KDE afterburner variant and get it developed along with the engine being developed in association with France. Will be cheaper and large numbers of Tejas MK2 fleet could utilize these and will help with exports as well.

Regarding Squadron strength, it need to be met with Indian platform and not imported ones.

Kaveri will be made to fly on the Tejas MK1A. That gives the options for us to even create better variants of the Tejas MK1A, let's call it Tejas MK1B, even try to make it slightly more lighter with the newer materials etc and create a variant that's suitable to be produced in much more numbers with better AESA in the form of GaN based Uttam and any other technology that will be developed in teh next 5 years. All those changes adopted on the other Tejas and improved to the MK1B variant. 96 more variants of the Tejas MK1B can arrive. To mass produce all these, there be another two lines of production set up. Be it at Bengaluru or at Koraput.

When the majority of production lines will slowly start shifting and the mass production of MK2 begins, the order placement can move to MK2A, Mk2B in every half a decade of production with good number of Tejas MK2 ordered meanwhile a new powerful KDE variant engine made available for Mk2 as well. There will be a slight overlap of 2 to 3 years when both the Mk1B and MK2 variants will be getting inducted in the IAF, before it shifts to MK2 for some time and then AMCA starts arriving. Continue similarly with AMCA and with AMCA MK2 and its variants of Sixth gen fighter. This is money well invested. If you are ready to have ORCA into the mix, when the MK2 is already flying with a Kaveri engine, should be considered as well. This is the way to be Atmanirbhar. The cycle of imports need to be broken and IAF should show patience for half a decade to max a decade for true Atmanirbharta to emerge. The Navy went on this paths for about 3 decades. This was when the technology availability was very low. They have to do it, slow and steady and did it. This approach IAF need to take for a decade to get out of the import cycles. in the meantime, very few squadrons of Rafale for the time being in the 12, 24.36 if IAF is that low on confidence. Anything more is suicidal for the nation and nations' progress. With regard to the Army it's another story.

[VKumar]

Not even a test bed for Kaveri

Kaveri success will be the failure of many, many officials

[bala]

Right now the officials are gloating over the French Rafale deal. The many visits to France with wine&cheese parties and Moulin Rouge shows is their payoff. Bringing rafale manufacturing into India is another goldmine of opportunities for the sundry officials who will be involved in various facets. I don't know what India can really learn from such ToTs other than gleaming planes and some quality control/strict discipline in manufacture. All in all it is keeping up with the Jones and some additional strength in squadrons. Lots of exercises with Nato countries of EU are possible including the US. Stealth and other global advances will elude the IAF for a long time.

[V_Raman]

IMO India will not get any meaningful assistance for engines. It is the crown jewel - asking for it is like asking ASML to give their Litho tech to you. We might make everything else on our own. But we are on our own for engines.

[Cybaru]

I firmly believe that even a Safran/RR core(15%) and Indian cold engine (85%) will go a long way of getting us independent in the 90KN, 100KN and 120KN category. As long as we have the test infrastructure to make this successful. No one will give us tech for core, that needs to be a separate project and the above model reduces risk tremendously for IAF/Indian Aviation. You can always buy and keep 20% extra cores if worried about sanctions.

[bala]

Why is France Cozying Up To India?

This is a fascinating discussion. P R Shankar says that even with Bofors which gave 100% TOT, India is still struggling with Dhanush, despite having all drawings etc. Question is if France were to give some aircraft engine tech are we in a position to learn from that and take advantage. Shankar says that India never really designed any engine, even those on cars are simply taken from elsewhere. The largest car manufacturer of India, Suzuki, the car design is done in Japan. The French are currently caught in the Europe's Ukraine war. Russia is not exactly their friend. During china's rise, the french invested a lot into China and now they need to find a new destination, India fits the bill. However the French will not take sides with India against China. The French are part of NATO.

[ritesh]

Correct to some extent, as mahindra and tata get their engine consulting with austrian company AVL. Same for Enfield as well.

[Nsmith]

I sometimes laugh at the OROP generols who cry about desi cos are not able to 'absorb' technology, phoren-maal is the only option becuase we 'need to fight with what we have' yada yada yada....

Wish we had a culture of embedding senior IAF/Army personnel in our production units so they'd have an appreciation of how industry works. ToT has to be the most abused term in the govt. Don't think anyone in MoD/IAF understand what that means or how that works.

Nobody 'gives' you technology - unless you 'learn' it. Having the machines to fabricate parts per specsheet or having the engg drawings is NOT ToT. The only way anyone learns any technology is by first developing a sense of 'why' the manufacturing process is the way its set up. Then coming up with a hypothesis of how to improve a particular spec/feature - prototyping - testing - (99% times) failing - iterating until you get it right. Until and unless we do this try-test-fail-iterate loop over asnd over again, there's no way we're absorbing any technology.

Case in point, we've assembeled 250+ airframes of Su 30 (including the engines) but are nowhere near the stated goal. Same for so many other ToT projects in the country.

Need a 180 degree change in culture HAL, BEL, DRDO, GTRE and other labs + the customer (IAF + IA) to make this happen. Anyone who has spent any time in any industry understands intutively that there's no shortcut way to get to the top of the tech tree but for some reason our folks have this utopian idea about how ToT is supposed to work.

[A_Gupta]

The vote:

"A genuine R&D culture thrives on failure tolerance—but in India’s public sector, failure is punished, not seen as part of progress."

"If India wants to succeed, it needs to treat jet engines not as a single project but as a national mission spanning decades — much like ISRO did with space launch vehicles."

[A_Gupta]

For more AI generated recommendations: viewtopic.php?p=2672844#p2672844

[A_Gupta]

There is the British-Italy-Japan GCAP effort, which India declined an invitation to join.
There is FCAS - the French-German led effort, which is foundering on differences between Airbus Germany and Dassault.
IMO, the technological ladder for the Europeans to climb is likely much shorter than what India faces; the real problem is political.

Also, IMO, if India tries to build an industrial ecosystem centered around jet engines, It may not be sustainable. All the spill-over industries that benefit from some of the technologies for jet engines need to develop as well.

[Aditya_V]

To add to it, unless we start having some domestic manufacture of disks and blades for A320,A321 and B737, I dont think it is possible to set up just low bypass engine ecosystem in isolation, so this deal behind the scenes must include Private A320 series orders, C295 deal . Only then will KDE deals become viable.

[Rakesh]

From Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai (retd)

Rafale, AMCA & India’s Quest for Aerospace Sovereignty - Part 1 of 3
https://radmsudhirpillai.substack.com/p ... -quest-for
17 Feb 2026

Rafale, AMCA & India’s Quest for Aerospace Sovereignty - Part 2 of 3
https://radmsudhirpillai.substack.com/p ... st-for-a13
17 Feb 2026

Rafale, AMCA & India’s Quest for Aerospace Sovereignty - Part 3 of 3
https://radmsudhirpillai.substack.com/p ... st-for-ce0
18 Feb 2026

[Rakesh]

From Everest Rhetoric to Design Authority: How India Uses Aerospace JVs
https://radmsudhirpillai.substack.com/p ... -authority
19 Feb 2026

Part 1 of 2 – Helicopters, Assembly Lines, and the Old JV Reflex

From Everest Rhetoric to Design Authority: How India Uses Aerospace JVs
https://radmsudhirpillai.substack.com/p ... hority-1fa
20 Feb 2026

Part 2 of 2 – From Kamov Lessons to Design Authority

[Rakesh]

Explainer: Why France is the new Russia
https://tribuneindia.com/news/explainer ... ew-russia/
21 Feb 2026

Russia’s pole position as a supplier of military equipment to India remains intact, but France is now the lead partner in aviation

https://x.com/ajaynewsman/status/202505 ... 94133?s=20 ---> France is the new Russia for Indian military aviation sector. A series of developments in the military aviation sector have positioned India-France ties as matching New Delhi’s historic cooperation with Moscow. Russia’s pole position as a supplier of military equipment to India remains unchallenged, but France is now the lead partner in military aviation. Its companies are collaborating with Indian partners to produce fighter jets, jet engines, air-launched precision missiles and in making latest avionics.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/RealAirPower1/status/2024 ... 03126?s=20 ---> The Indian Navy is going ALL IN on the Rafale. Already locked in for 26 jets in 2025, reports this February indicate that New Delhi is now eyeing 31 more Rafale Marine (Rafale M) units. If the deal lands, India will field a total of 57 naval Rafales, surpassing the French Navy’s own fleet of approx 41. Gentlemen, we may be witnessing the rise of one of the world’s most powerful non-US naval air wings! Okay, let's briefly look at the opportunities and challenges of "Rafale-ization" for the Indian Navy.

https://x.com/RealAirPower1/status/2024 ... 42638?s=20 ---> What truly makes the Rafale M a game changer is not just its 1,000 km+ combat radius or its genuine "Omnirole" DNA. Its real impact lies in solving a long-standing logistics challenge that has hampered the Indian MoD for decades. With the IAF cleared to acquire 114 Rafales for land operations, bringing the Rafale M into naval service pushes India toward a unified "Super Rafale Fleet," enabling the military to share training, engines, spares, and weapons across both services. Standardization on this scale is a far bigger strategic gain than simply buying a new 4.5 generation platform.

https://x.com/RealAirPower1/status/2024 ... 92656?s=20 ---> But let’s keep it real: the road ahead is not easy. The Rafale M was not built for India’s STOBAR ski jump carriers. Unlike the MiG-29K, its wings do not fold. This creates a problem for the elevators on INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, which are just a tad bit too small. To fit Rafales in the hangar, the Navy will have to use specialized tilting jigs or remove wingtip rails each time they go below deck. It is an engineering mountain to climb, but for the level of capability the Rafale M brings to the table, the Indian Navy is ready to do the hard work (I hope).

[Rakesh]

Beyond the fighter jet: How the Rafale deal could transform India’s defence ecosystem
https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/beyon ... 5.html/amp
18 Feb 2026

With this mega deal, India gets ready to transform Make in India defence and give it unprecedented depth

[Rakesh]

Force Multiplier: A new Rafale deal
https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-i ... 2026-02-18
18 Feb 2026

India's plan to acquire the latest Rafale jets would help bolster its depleted fighter strength and counter the growing air capabilities of China and Pakistan.

[Rakesh]

BEL, Safran Sign MoU to Manufacture Hammer Missiles in India
https://bharatshakti.in/bel-safran-sign ... n-india-2/
17 Feb 2026

Make in India push: What is the HAMMER weapon system project? Key details of BEL–Safran JV
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/def ... 412402.cms
16 Feb 2026

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/hindookissinger/status/20 ... 31452?s=20 ---> Nobody on Indian defence twitter is even having the balls to confront this fact: US will not give ToT for F414-INS6. IAF & MoD likely know this, which serves as the impetus for the 114 Rafale import.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/officialTatya_1/status/20 ... 35848?s=20 ---> Potential Indian Partners for Rafale Production in India.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/officialTatya_1/status/19 ... 81730?s=20 ---> Tata Dassault

Production facility to be set up in Hyderabad with capacity up to two fuselages/month
First fuselage to roll out in FY 2028
It will help to ramp up the current production of Rafales

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/Ahlawat2012/status/202527 ... 58372?s=20 ---> I guess more than one year. Four challenges remain:-

1. Three contenders in the ring: who gets to shortlist the partner - Indian MoD or the OEM, Dassault.
2. Degree of localization of content: we want more - they want less.
3. Who stands guarantee for the locally made aircraft. Remember, the last deal fell through because Dassault refused to stand guarantee for HAL-built aircraft.
4. Final price negotiation.

[Rakesh]

Interesting you mention that, because some X accounts are claiming that post Rafale, the IAF will skip AMCA and jump straight to FCAS.

IMVHO the IAF will not skip AMCA. They will also ask for the FCAS.

Whether it will be considered the follow up to the Rafales or the complement to the AMCA will depend on the numbers.

I am laughing at the sheer irony of this, because crying will only increase my blood pressure. From Dassault's perspective, this is a brilliant move. Germany & Spain have more or less said goodbye to the collaboration with Dassault. They need a partner (for funding) and India is always willing to oblige for the promise of gold dust.

India eyes 6th generation FCAS, looks at tying up with France for possible collaboration
https://theprint.in/defence/india-eyes- ... n/2861054/
23 Feb 2026

Initial talks held on the possibility of India entering the programme that was started in 2017 between France, Germany and Spain to ensure European sovereignty in defence and security.

[Rakesh]

Beyond Rafale, why India is eyeing sixth generation fighter aircraft program FCAS with France

In what could be a major collaboration in the aviation sector, India is exploring the possibility of teaming up with France for co-development and co-manufacture of a futuristic sixth-generation fighter under the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme. ThePrint’s Editor – Defence and Diplomacy Snehesh Alex Philip explains in DefenceScope.

[Sumeet]

I am laughing at the sheer irony of this, because crying will only increase my blood pressure. From Dassault's perspective, this is a brilliant move. Germany & Spain have more or less said goodbye to the collaboration with Dassault. They need a partner (for funding) and India is always willing to oblige for the promise of gold dust.

India eyes 6th generation FCAS, looks at tying up with France for possible collaboration
https://theprint.in/defence/india-eyes- ... n/2861054/
23 Feb 2026

Initial talks held on the possibility of India entering the programme that was started in 2017 between France, Germany and Spain to ensure European sovereignty in defence and security.

This is going to be the most stupidest move from our MoD and think tank. Only a tad better than TSP participation in Chinese JF-17 project since at least we have funds to contribute for R&D and an almost France like buying capacity if not more because by 2040's our economy should be much much stronger.

France is a power fully capable of building a fighter jet which is why Germans couldn't get any respectable work share. We already had this type of experience with Sukhoi/Russia in FGFA programme. Other European nations still need collaboration -- Germany, Sweden, Italy and UK and we declined that invitation and are now looking at France's FCAS who are self sufficient and refuse workshare cooperation with fellow Euro nations.

[Manish_P]

... From Dassault's perspective, this is a brilliant move. Germany & Spain have more or less said goodbye to the collaboration with Dassault. They need a partner (for funding) and India is always willing to oblige for the promise of gold dust
...

That was expected. France and Germany is almost like India-China. Germany has been neutered by the Americans post WW2 and will require another Adolf to become independent. Spain goes along with Germany for absorbing the tech without having to spend too much of its money.