Recent media reports claimed that France would deliver 20 Rafale aircraft to the Indian Air Force, while the remaining jets would be produced in India at HAL's production sites.
HAL has formally denied these reports concerning the allegedly agreed details of a "mega-contract" for Rafale fighters. The company emphasized that, as of now, it has received no official communication on the matter either from India's Ministry of Defence or from the aircraft manufacturer, Dassault Aviation.
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The relevant letter from HAL was made public by Adithya Krishna Menon, a researcher of India’s defense industry and contributor to Naval News. The letter responds to Indian media reports outlining details of a forthcoming firm contract for Rafale fighters, including their potential localization at HAL facilities.
Earlier, it was reported that India's Defence Acquisition Council had approved a major defense procurement package worth $40 billion, including Rafale fighters, with firm contracts potentially to be signed during a visit to India by French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, HAL's denial appears to relate not to the potential signing of a contract itself, but rather to the specific terms reportedly under discussion. In particular, the letter addresses claims that the first 20 Rafale aircraft would be delivered from France by 2030, while the remaining 94 would be manufactured in India under cooperation between HAL and Dassault Aviation.
Although HAL states that it has not received any official information confirming such arrangements, earlier reports suggested that France could agree to up to 80 percent localization in India in order to secure the Rafale deal.
It is therefore possible that negotiations on these terms are ongoing, perhaps even at an advanced stage, but that there has not yet been formal authorization to disclose the agreed conditions or the precise number of aircraft to be produced domestically.
It is also worth noting that New Delhi is already localizing certain elements of Rafale production. However, this is not being carried out at HAL facilities, but through Tata Advanced Systems Limited, which is set to assemble fuselage sections for the fighter. This arrangement followed the most recent order for 26 carrier-based Rafale M aircraft valued at €6.6 billion.
As previously reported, last summer it emerged that India might forgo a competitive tender for 114 fighters under the long-running Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program, which has been ongoing for eight years, and instead proceed directly with the purchase of Rafale aircraft.
Such a decision would leave several contenders outside the competition, including JAS 39 Gripen, F-15EX Eagle II, F-16 Block 70, and the russian Su-57. Moscow continues to promote its aircraft to India as a "safer" alternative to the F-35 Lightning II and has reportedly offered a number of concessions, including the transfer of design documentation.
Previously, Defense Express reported that Safran is expanding production of engine components for Rafale fighters.
Read more: India Finalizes Search for Carrier-Based Jets, Signs Deal for French Rafale Fighters
