02 Feb 2012

On January 31, 2012, Dassault Aviation issued a press release that its Rafale fighter has been selected by the Indian Ministry of Defence as its new medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). The deal for 126 aircraft is estimated to be worth over $10 billion up to $20 billion depending on options.

Dassault will supply 126 Rafale fighters to the Indian Air Force (IAF) from mid-2015 onwards, with the first 18 jets assembled in France. Following technology transfer, the remaining 108 jets will be manufactured in India under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s facilities in Bangalore.

Dassault and India will now begin contract negotiations, which is expected to take several months. The contract is not expected to be finalised before the start of the new fiscal year in April. The French government stated it sees an 80% probability for a firm deal within 6-9 months.

Six suppliers entered the MMRCA competition in August 2007 after India's Request for Proposals. The Dassault Rafale had been shortlisted together with the Eurofighter Typhoon following technical and in-country flight evaluation tests by the IAF through 2009 and 2010. The MMRCA competition Competition included the F-16IN Super Viper, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, MiG-35 and Gripen NG.