India's Rafale
The body of the Rafale fighter jet will now be made in India. For this, India's Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has signed a partnership agreement with French company Dassault Aviation (Dassault). The main structure of the Rafale jet is called the fuselage of the aircraft. This will be the first time that the structure will be built outside France. It will be considered as a great achievement that this opportunity has been given to the Tata company. The Tata Group already manufactures parts for Rafale and Mirage 2000 jets in collaboration with Dassault. This partnership will prove to be a milestone in India's journey of making aircrafts. It is also testimony to the tremendous progress that India has made in building a modern and robust aerospace manufacturing system that can support the world's largest companies.
An aircraft fuselage is the part of an aircraft to which the wings, tail, and engines are attached. It is this structure that shapes the aircraft. About 40 per cent of the fuselage is made up of carbon, fibre composites. This material is light and very strong, which reduces the weight of the jet and increases the speed. Titanium is used around the engine and in the high-stress parts so that the aircraft can withstand heat and pressure. In some parts, aluminum, lithium metal is used. Dassault has delivered more than 10,000 military and civilian aircraft to more than 90 countries in the last 100 years, including 2,700 Falcon aircraft. The company has expertise in design, production, sales of aircraft worldwide.
Until about a decade ago, the Indian aerospace ecosystem was dominated by government-owned entities led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Today, India's private sector has built a strong aerospace sector, led mainly by the Tata Group, under which several entities are engaged in the manufacturing of components as well as the thorough assembly of aircraft. Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Tata Sons, who pioneered the aerospace business, may no longer be in this world, but he leaves behind a legacy under whose leadership the Tata group has gained expertise in many fields. Under the guidance of Ratan Tata, whose love for aviation is very well known, the group has entered into joint ventures with leading global aerospace companies and has taken India into the global aerospace supply chain in the last 10-15 years.
Under the leadership of Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the Tata group has now entered into joint ventures with Boeing and Airbus, two leading aerospace giants. From manufacturing components, aircraft parts until a decade ago, the Tata group has now entered the elite ranks of companies capable of assembly aircraft and helicopters with its partners. Boeing currently sources the fuselage for the Apache Attack helicopters as well as the vertical wing structure for the 737 passenger aircraft from a joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems. Along with Airbus, in addition to manufacturing components and exporting them, the Tata group is now engaged in the manufacture and assembly of military transport aircraft and civilian helicopters.
The Tata group is also manufacturing transport aircraft such as the C 295 and is also involved in the production and development of aeroengines. The group is also active in the development and production of defence equipment including unmanned systems, missiles and artillery. This group also specializes in systems integration in aerospace. The Tata group has been continuously working to promote domestic production in the aerospace and defense sector under the Make in India campaign. Who does not know that India's first aviation company, Air India, was started by the Tata family. Later, the government took over Air India. At the end of 2021, Tata Sons had successfully bid back Air India. The company has expressed full confidence in Tata Advanced Systems by entering into a partnership agreement.
The project is a major step forward in defence cooperation between India and France. This will enhance India's capability to manufacture defence equipment and allow local engineers to learn world-class technology. It will also signify the progress made in establishing India's modern robust aerospace manufacturing ecosystem. With the support of the Tata Group, the Dassault company will meet the quality requirements in the production of Rafale. There will be transfer of technology while the project is underway and the entire Rafale aircraft may be manufactured in India in the future. As the nature of warfare has changed, India needs new technology. India also needs the participation of private companies in this sector. It is expected that this joint project of Tata Group and Dassault will open new paths for India and set new dimensions in the defense sector.