Vayusena & Nausena Rafale: News & Discussion

[bala]

Is More Su 30 MKI the Answer? India's Final Ultimatum to France on Rafale I Aadi Pathikrit Show

Su 30 MKI production can be increased. Su-57 is looking more likely. India wants APIs for integration of its own missiles. Other modifications that India wants should be plug n play with APIs. If France does not provide such APIs (they don't want to give source code) then India might walk away from the deal of Rafales.

India is no more into transactional deals, it needs to look at its needs and see if it makes sense.

[drnayar]

looks like the Rafale deal has hit an impasse..not much in the news either ?!

[uddu]

looks like the Rafale deal has hit an impasse..not much in the news either ?!

Probaly had enough of the Screw in India and all eyes now on the first flight

Image credit DRDO

Based on the First flight the next moves will be made by France and our decision makers. A successfull flight will make france to offer more screws. Let's wait and watch.

[drnayar]

looks like the Rafale deal has hit an impasse..not much in the news either ?!

Probably had enough of the Screw in India and all eyes now on the first flight

Based on the First flight the next moves will be made by France and our decision makers. A successfull flight will make france to offer more screws. Let's wait and watch.

in April 2026, the UAE pulled out of funding the development of the next-generation Rafale F5, due to disagreements over technology sharing and the inability to use sensitive components . France must now fund the F5 program alone, while the UAE focuses on receiving the initially ordered F4-standard aircraft

will india follow and focus on its indigenous programs ?

[ritesh]

looks like the Rafale deal has hit an impasse..not much in the news either ?!

Was this a cunning plan of MoD baboons to ask Dassault for moon which was surely going to be denied and then put forth the only option of MK1A or MK2 to IAF top brass and get them onboard fully on Tejas? If yes, then it was an awesome plan afterall

[Tanaji]

The Rafale acquisition is also about numbers and diversifying the source of aircraft. We cant be tied to GE as the sole source in the near future for all aircraft acquisitions. The Rafale purchase is a counter until/if Kaveri comes along.

[S_Madhukar]

Rafale also gives us access to SCALP, Meteor etc , we get a few NATO tech that will be vital against the Lizards. Israel can’t provide everything

[S_Madhukar]

looks like the Rafale deal has hit an impasse..not much in the news either ?!

Was this a cunning plan of MoD baboons to ask Dassault for moon which was surely going to be denied and then put forth the only option of MK1A or MK2 to IAF top brass and get them onboard fully on Tejas? If yes, then it was an awesome plan afterall

Or may be looking at Mk2 Rafale Singh use that to put pressure now on Rafale Gora?

[drnayar]

Once mark 2 flies .. it will be the french toast .. source code ityadi will be offered free

[Rakesh]

IAF finalises Rafale RFP, sets stage for fighter production before Modi & Chief AP Singh fly to France
https://theprint.in/defence/iaf-finalis ... e/2931194/
14 May 2026

The final contract will be signed only later this fiscal year. The long-term goal is to achieve 55% - 60% localisation for Rafale aircraft manufacture in India.

[VinodTK]

IAF finalises Rafale RFP, sets stage for fighter production before Modi & Chief AP Singh fly to France
https://theprint.in/defence/iaf-finalis ... e/2931194/
14 May 2026

The final contract will be signed only later this fiscal year. The long-term goal is to achieve 55% - 60% localisation for Rafale aircraft manufacture in India.

What happened to code sharing?
Did France agree to share the source code or API's!!
Or India is in no win situation and buying them with out the source code?
Dumb old me I thought GOI for a change has grown some real balls

[Rakesh]

What happened to code sharing?
Did France agree to share the source code or API's!!
Or India is in no win situation and buying them with out the source code?
Dumb old me I thought GOI for a change has grown some real balls

We need to learn to get off the "source code" train. No OEM will give you source code. In recent times, only the Su-30MKI was given that access. But the Rambha is a unique geopolitical story from Russia, which France is not facing. Dassault is drowning (literally) in cash and there is zero incentive for them to share the source code.

Air HQ has been eyeing the Rafale in triple digits since the first decade of this century. And prior to that, Air HQ had its eyes on the Mirage 2000 in triple digits. This is a "carry over" acquisition from the 1980s. Air HQ was tenacious and got what it wanted. It took them 4+ decades, but they got it.

The article (please read it) does state that the goal is to integrate Indian weapons & systems onto the Rafale sans the source code. That is as far as we will get with the Rafale. If Dassault does not agree to that, then the deal will not go through. Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (retd) recently commented on that. Please see the link below...

https://x.com/SilentBriefHQ/status/2052 ... 83996?s=20

And post the Rafale acquisition (if it happens), will come the Su-57 in some avatar. These two birds, along with the Mk1A and the Mk2 will hold down the fort....till the arrival of the AMCA. And these four platforms will replace the MiG-29, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar currently in service.

[Manish_Sharma]

Days of postponement & prolonging are over.. i think its happening with decisiveness

https://x.com/alpha_defense/status/2054 ... 16864?s=20

See, when the DAC approved the 114-jet program, they practically wrote Dassault Rafale in brackets, so it was always clear where this was headed.

Now the interesting part is this: if the Indian Air Force is itself preparing/ed the RFP while accommodating 22 fly-away aircraft, it suggests they are already factoring in production constraints.

Which means this is not a standard procurement process anymore. There appears to be a much deeper level of understanding and alignment between India and France beyond a basic G2G deal.

[chetak]

What happened to code sharing?
Did France agree to share the source code or API's!!
Or India is in no win situation and buying them with out the source code?
Dumb old me I thought GOI for a change has grown some real balls

We need to learn to get off the "source code" train. No OEM will give you source code. In recent times, only the Su-30MKI was given that access. But the Rambha is a unique geopolitical story from Russia, which France is not facing. Dassault is drowning (literally) in cash and there is zero incentive for them to share the source code.

Air HQ has been eyeing the Rafale in triple digits since the first decade of this century. And prior to that, Air HQ had its eyes on the Mirage 2000 in triple digits. This is a "carry over" acquisition from the 1980s. Air HQ was tenacious and got what it wanted. It took them 4+ decades, but they got it.

The article (please read it) does state that the goal is to integrate Indian weapons & systems onto the Rafale sans the source code. That is as far as we will get with the Rafale. If Dassault does not agree to that, then the deal will not go through. Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (retd) recently commented on that. Please see the link below...

https://x.com/SilentBriefHQ/status/2052 ... 83996?s=20

And post the Rafale acquisition (if it happens), will come the Su-57 in some avatar. These two birds, along with the Mk1A and the Mk2 will hold down the fort....till the arrival of the AMCA. And these four platforms will replace the MiG-29, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar currently in service.

Rakesh saar,

The manufacturer has agreed to provide the interface control document (ICD) that will allow India to integrate various weapon systems into the rafale without the help of the manufacturer. This is essentially what India wanted.

The frogs will not share the so called "source code" because it will give India needless access to sophisticated EW systems and such other ultra advanced proprietary subsystems that no one will want to share.

These systems share some commonality with some other european platforms and all those manufacturers were up in arms, objecting vehemently to this "source code" demand.

So, now we may in the same position as we were when we "customized" the Sukhoi MKI all those many years ago.

Since then, constant India initiated upgrades to the weapon systems of the MKI with israeli, Indian and also other country sourced subsystems of increasing lethality have made this platform a much feared aerial adversary.

The powers that be have agreed that they can work with the ICD.

The deal is going forward on this basis.

One has met some of these dunderhead "journos" who hang around the test pilot crowd and write BS in the Indian media about anything that catches their fancy, the more controversial the topic, the happier they are because almost all of them are kindergarten dropouts looking to make a name, reputation and hopefully, a few bucks.

This parasitic ecosystem is from where the "source code" nonsense took root.

the eurotrash call the MKI the "Frankenstein monster" and very much fear that another "Frankenstein monster" will emerge from the rafale deal, because India may now have the right to modify the rafale weapon systems with the kind of advanced systems that even the eurotrash themselves may not have access to.

They fear that India will create a new and separate rafale "fork" that will develop independently of the original product, just like the MKI is a separate sukhoi "fork" that is distinct from the original.

After OP Sindoor, none of these jokers are really sure anymore about how to handle India in the geopolitical or the technical space, and the old, cast in stone, colonial trope of a subservient India has been completely trashed with Modi ji's global popularity literally shutting out the negative images being pushed about a "dangerous, intolerant, communal, and hegemonistic" India.

A rising India that is not anymore afraid of dealing decisively with recalcitrant and free loading neighbours, and others like cheen and amrika that have become increasingly wary of underestimating Modi-ji.

The Agni series have truly put the fear of god into the cheen.

Rakesh saar, do Indian missiles and other weapon systems have a caste.. or are they secular...

asking for a friend onlee.......

[bala]

Interfaces or APIs are really popular nowadays and makes things plug'n'play for many systems integrators. Once you have the ICD then weapons, systems etc can be tailor made to fit the IAF's mode of strategic weapons and systems. Also nowadays everything is network centric, meaning good inter-connectivity in near real time basis. If we can get our hypermachsonic missiles on board a Rafale, India's IAF can command a complete perimeter radius and with any impending war will devastate many critical assets of the enemy in double quick time.

I hope the Frogs agree to ICD and support the IAF completely.

[Cyrano]

I think interface specifications to integrate desi missiles, drop tanks should be OK for Dassault to share. Likely for some additional price.

If our ask extends to EW suits and mission computers, the Rafale being a multi role aircraft which has significant advantages over competition in precisely these areas and that's why we also chose it, then Dassault understandably will be reticent to give away it's crown jewels.

By the way, we have developed our own mission computers, and EW suites and are flying them on the Tejas. So what is the need to insist for the same from Dassault?!

I strongly suspect some of this news is planted and fanned by supporters of other OEMs and lobbyists.

[Cybaru]

Good API set makes more sense. The source code ask was probably not even on the table, or maybe IAF tried and failed. That should be table stakes when trying to sell any platforms to India. The cost of APIs should be zero. The platform comes with it. The upgrades from version f4 to f5 will be expensive, but if we have these, we may not need to upgrade if it gets too expensive. Moral of the story, IAF will need to get Mk1A and Mk2 sorted and flying to really resolve long term independence.

If Rafale is going ahead, Kaveri better get a test bird and announcement. Rafale aint worth it without engine independence... Anything less is wasteful and disappointing...

[Manish_Sharma]

https://x.com/AdithyaKM_/status/2056209 ... 06538?s=20

RFP for Rafale in the final stages of bureaucratic processing, expected to be issued shortly.
- 22 fly away, includes trainers
- 92 to be made in India
- Indian firms in contention include Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Mahindra & Adani Group
- long-term aim to achieve 55-60% localisation in phases of the Rafale production timeline
- France proposed a timeline for indigenisation which the Indian side wanted shortened, with a bigger number of aircraft having higher IC
- Existing IAF Rafale fleet will be upgraded to F4 configuration as part of the deal