Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian during signing ceremony of the Rafale Fighter Jet Deal
India today signed a deal to buy 36 high-tech Rafale fighters from France in the country’s first major acquisition of fighter aircraft in over two decades.
Thales, a member of the Rafale team, alongside Dassault Aviation, welcomes the selection of the Rafale omni-role combat aircraft by the Indian Air Force. The official signing ceremony for the acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft was held today, September 23rd, in New Delhi, India, in the presence of the Indian Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, the French Defense Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier and the Chairman and CEO of Thales, Patrice Caine.
Thales provides a number of state-of-the-art equipment and systems aboard the Rafale. They include the RBE2 AESA radar, the Spectra electronic warfare system, optronics, the communication navigation and identification system (CNI), the majority of the cockpit display systems, power generation systems and a logistics support component.
This contract will create hundreds of jobs on Thales manufacturing sites, in particular at Elancourt, Bordeaux, Brest and Etrelles, as well as for numerous partners and sub-contractors.
“All Thales teams would like to thank the Indian authorities for the trust they have placed in us. Rafale’s new export success demonstrates our ability, alongside Dassault Aviation and its partners, to constantly meet the customer’s highest expectations through innovation, the mastery of advanced technology and industrial excellence”, said Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO, Thales group. Key points
- 36 Rafale (28 single-seat and 8 twin-seat) ordered by India in September 2016.
- 24 Rafale ordered by Egypt in February 2015, 24 Rafale ordered by Qatar in May 2015.
- 7,000 people work on the Rafale at Dassault Aviation, Thales, Safran, as well as 500 subcontractors.
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