India’s indigenization and ‘Make in India’ campaign have achieved great success in the defense sector. France’s leading aerospace and defense sector company Thales has given the contract to an Indian company to manufacture an important part of the Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar used in the Rafale fighter jet.
New Delhi: A major and historic achievement has emerged for India’s defense sector. The process of indigenization of Rafale fighter jet has officially started, which gives new strength to the ‘Make in India’ and Self-reliant India campaign. France’s leading aerospace and defense company Thales has given the contract to Indian company SFO Technologies to manufacture an important and technically complex part of the state-of-the-art radar system used in the Rafale fighter jet.
An important part of Rafale’s AESA radar will be made in India
Thales has clarified that the complex wired structures required for the RBE2 AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar used in the Rafale fighter jet will now be manufactured in India. This radar is a part of Rafale’s core mission system and its role is very important in rapidly identifying, tracking targets and taking precise action in combat situations.
According to Thales, this wired structure is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, vibration and harsh environmental conditions. Manufacturing of such high-end components in India is indicative of a huge leap in the country’s technological capability.
Indigenization accelerated after the order of 26 Rafale Marine Jets
This decision has been taken at a time when India has recently ordered 26 Rafale Marine Fighter Jets for the Indian Navy. Thales is a key partner of Dassault Aviation’s Rafale industrial team and is now working on a strong local manufacturing roadmap in India. The company says that under this roadmap, deeper technical and industrial cooperation with domestic companies will be increased in the Indian aerospace and defense ecosystem. With this, India is becoming not only a consumer but also an important partner in the global defense supply chain.
SFO Technologies has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru and Mysuru in India, while also having a presence in the US. The company is already providing high-precision engineering solutions in the aerospace, medical devices and defense sectors. Now manufacturing of important components for a state-of-the-art fighter jet like Rafale in India is a big achievement for the country from both strategic and technical point of view.
The RBE2 AESA radar is counted among the most advanced fighter radar systems in the world. It is equipped with multi-target tracking, improved range and electronic warfare capabilities. Manufacturing of parts of such sensitive systems in India is being considered a big step towards strategic self-reliance. This initiative strengthens India’s defense production policy, technology transfer and long-term security needs.
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