After more than a laborious beginning, the rafale continues with its export impulse. The Ministry of Defense of India announced on Monday the signing of a contract with Dassault Aviation, after an “agreement in principle” concluded in July 2023, to acquire 26 Rafale planes for the Navy of India.
This is not the first Indian contract, since he had already bought 36 bursts in 2016, to equip his air forces. A potential contract of 40 additional devices would also be in discussion between India and France.
What is the rafale?
It is a device of approximately 10 tons, which has a versatile system in terms of weapons: 30 mm cannon for air combat and earth support, air-air missiles, guided pumps with laser and cruise missiles.
The plane is drawn in the form of a Delta wing with a nearby “duck” filling (fins at the front of the device), it is considered “discreet” with a low radar firm thanks to its composite materials. A single salador or two rooms, is intended to equip the air forces or aeronavals.
Born from the desire to find a replacement for the 2000 Mirage of the French Air Force, the Rafale was designed to maintain the French aeronautical strategic autonomy, with, of course, the hope of selling it to export it.
The prototype, the protester named Rafale A, completed his inaugural flight on July 4, 1986 in Istres (Bouche-Du-Rhône).
Rafale has been used by the French Navy since 2004 and the Air Force and space since 2006. It has replaced seven types of combat aircraft for previous generations.
Built in collaboration by Dassault Aviation, the electronics engineer Thales and the Safran motor manufacturer (which provides the M-88 engine), will remain in service within the Armed Forces far beyond 2040.
Lady beginnings
The combat plane went into service in France in 2004, but commercial losses follow each other: Failures in South Korea and the Netherlands in 2002, in Singapore in 2005, then in Morocco, Brazil … acquired a reputation of non -sollada machines and suffered a better image of US teams, including European partners.
Switzerland, Finland and Belgium preferred American F-35 to him during tenders.
Export export
Its 2007 combat use in Afghanistan, then in Libya, in Sahel and Levante, sometimes at the end of long incursions led from France, the situation changes. It is still necessary to wait until 2015 for the first export successes with Egypt (24 aircraft), Qatar (24 aircraft in 2015, 12 in 2017) then India the following year (36 airplanes).
2021 is a year of splendor: 18 aircraft are sold in Greece (including 12 used), additional 30 to Egypt and 12 used in Croatia. And with much, the largest export order for this plane: 80 devices for Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of 2022, Indonesia ordered 42 planes.
French diplomatic activism is not the only reason for this “takeoff”: some countries wish not to depend only on the United States for their defense team.
Last request abroad (before India concluded on Monday): Serbia, which bought 12 new aircraft in August 2024, becoming the third European country to opt for the versatile Bireactor plane, after Greece (which ordered 24, included 12 used) and Croatia.
To date, Dassault Aviation has sold no less than 507 rafale, including 273 in export. According to an estimate of the Secret Defense site, these 500 produced products generated 37.5 billion euros for sale to the French aircraft manufacturer. The estimated price of an burst is in fact 68.8 million for model C (one salador), 74 million for the two -room version and 79 million for Rafale M (Marine), those that India just ordered.
Increase production
Added to the needs of France, these orders push Dassault Aviation to consider uploading quickly.
The aircraft manufacturer planned to deliver 25 aircraft in 2025, almost double that in 2023 (13 aircraft delivered).
Since the beginning, France ordered 234 Rafale, 108 of which were delivered to the Air Force and Espace and 41 to the French Navy, the others are under construction. The Military Programming Law aims to direct 225 aircraft by 2035.
Source: BFM TV
