In a first, Rafale Fighter Jet’s parts will be manufactured outside France. The parts will now be made in India due to a partnership between Rafale’s manufacturer Dassault Aviation and the Tata group. Under the deal, effective from June 5, 2025 Indian private sector defence major Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) will set up a production facility in Hyderabad for manufacturing key structural sections of the Rafale, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage, and the front section.

What is Rafale Fighter Jet?

The Rafale is a twin-jet fighter aircraft able to operate from both an aircraft carrier and a shore base. The fully versatile Rafale is able to carry out all combat aviation missions: air superiority and air defense, close air support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence.

The Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air Force in 2006. Rafale is one of the most seasoned fighter jets in the world. It has been combat proven since 2007.

How many variants of Rafale Fighter Jets are made?

The Rafale, a fully “Omnirole” fighter, is available in three variants:

The Rafale C Single-Seater operated from land bases
The Rafale M Single-Seater for carrier operations
The Rafale B Two-Seater flown from land bases

All three variants share a common airframe and a common mission system, the differences between naval and land versions being mainly limited to the undercarriage and to the arresting hook.

The naval variant of the Rafale jet differs slightly from the Air Force version. While both share many similarities, the maritime Rafale features a longer, reinforced nose and a strengthened undercarriage for carrier operations.

The nose of the Rafale M is longer and more reinforced than the Air Force version, which is necessary to withstand the strain of carrier operations. The undercarriage is also strengthened to handle the impact of landing on an aircraft carrier. T

he Rafale M has a larger arrester hook, which is crucial for safely landing on a carrier. An integrated ladder is also included for easy access on the carrier.

The Rafale M is equipped with carrier-specific avionics for enhanced navigation and communication on board.

The Rafale M is designed for catapult launches and short-takeoff capabilities, making it ideal for deployment on aircraft carriers.

The Rafale M’s radar and electronic warfare systems are optimized for maritime operations.

Which countries have acquired Rafale Jets from France?

Manufactured by France’s Dassault Aviation, the Rafale-Marine is a carrier-borne combat-ready aircraft with proven operational capabilities in maritime environment. Numerous batches of Rafale fighters have been ordered by the French Armed Forces, covering a total of 234 aircraft for the French Air and Space Force and for the French Navy.

Rafale boasts of an export success. Rafale jets have more export orders than French orders as revealed by the manufacturing company Dassault Aviation.
Several export contracts have been signed with:

Egypt, for a total of 55 Rafales,
India, for 36 Rafales,
Qatar, for 36 Rafales
Greece, for 12 ex-French aircraft and 12 new-built Rafales
Croatia, for 12 ex-French Rafales
United Arab Emirates, for 80 Standard F4 Rafales
Indonesia, for 42 Rafales
Serbia, for 12 Rafales

India signed agreement for procuring Rafale Jets just before Operation Sindoor

On April 28, this year, roughly a week ahead of carrying out Operation Sindoor, the Government of India signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with France for the procurement of 26 Rafale Aircraft (22 Single-Seater and four Twin-Seater) for the Indian Navy. It included Training, Simulator, Associated Equipment, Weapons and Performance-Based Logistics. It also included additional equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The delivery of these aircraft would be completed by 2030, with the crew undergoing training in France and India.

The IGA was signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Armed Forces of France Sebastien Lecornu. The signed copies of the agreement, aircraft package supply protocol and weapons package supply protocol were exchanged by Indian and French officials in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at Nausena Bhawan, New Delhi on April 28.

Pakistan’s fake claim about IAF Rafale Pilot’s Last Rites busted by India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB)

On May 15, 2025 barely a week after Operation Sindoor, the Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) fact-check unit dismissed a viral social media claim made by Pakistani SM handles suggesting that the last rites of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale pilot were conducted following alleged casualties during Operation Sindoor.

PIB flagged multiple Pakistan-based accounts that circulated an old image, claiming it depicted the funeral of a Rafale pilot who supposedly died on May 7. The PIB clarified that the image in question is from 2008 and has no connection to recent events.

“An old image is going viral on social media, with many Pakistan-based accounts claiming that it shows the last rites of a Rafale pilot of the #IndianAirForce who died on May 7. This claim is completely fake. The image is actually from 2008 and unrelated to the current context,” PIB Fact Check posted on X.

Operation Sindoor

Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7, was a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. In retaliation, the Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), resulting in the elimination of over 100 terrorists linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Following the strikes, Pakistan attempted retaliation through cross-border shelling and drone attacks, prompting a second wave of coordinated Indian strikes. These targeted and damaged Pakistan’s radar systems, communication hubs, and airfields across 11 bases.

On Saturday, May 10, India and Pakistan reached a mutual understanding to cease hostilities and de-escalate tensions along the border.