Major setback for Rafale: The ₹29,000 crore deal was cancelled at the last minute, a defeat for Dassault
b
India is rapidly moving forward with a deal to buy 114 Rafale fighter jets from France for approximately 3.25 trillion rupees. This deal is set to be one of the largest in the global arms market and is generating considerable discussion worldwide. The intricacies of the Rafale and its comparison to the American F-35 fighter jet are being debated everywhere. Meanwhile, some bad news has emerged regarding the Rafale: it has lost a deal worth approximately 290 billion rupees.
Specifically, France’s Dassault Aviation had hoped that the South American country of Colombia would purchase Rafale aircraft for its air force. Colombia was looking to upgrade its aging fighter jets, and its military officials had highly praised the Rafale. A deal was reportedly struck behind the scenes, and the agreement between Dassault and Colombia for approximately 2.96 billion pounds (around 270 billion rupees) was almost finalized. On paper, the deal was practically complete. If it had gone through, the Rafale jets would have replaced the Israeli Kfir jets in Colombia. However, at the last minute, the Colombian government awarded the deal to Sweden’s Gripen instead of the Rafale. No official reason has been given for not awarding the deal to the Rafale.
According to a report by the website bishopstrow.com, the Swedish company offered Colombia several attractive incentives. These included long-term industrial cooperation, technology transfer, and the possibility of local assembly, along with promises of relatively lower operational and maintenance costs.
The Gripen markets itself as a smart fighter jet for mid-sized air forces. It is relatively lighter and more flexible. It is also cheaper to operate than the Rafale or the European Eurofighter Typhoon. Furthermore, Colombia felt that the Gripen deal would allow it to create an ecosystem for the manufacture of fighter jets within the country. This has also made it clear that buying fighter jets is not the only issue; the cost of operating them is also a major concern.
Is the Rafale’s shine fading?
After the setback from Colombia, the question might arise for a moment whether the Rafale’s shine is fading. Similarly, in 2021, France suffered a setback from Australia. Australia snubbed France and prioritized the US-UK in the submarine deal. But saying that the Rafale’s shine is fading based on this would not be correct. The Rafale has found several new customers outside of Europe. The most prominent among them is India. Currently, the Rafale’s order book is full. So far, about 300 fighter jets have been manufactured. They are currently the backbone of the French Air Force. The French Air Force has 234 Rafale aircraft. It currently has orders for approximately 273 fighter jets. The main countries that have purchased Rafale include India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, and the UAE.
India is buying 114 fighter jets
India has so far purchased 36 Rafale aircraft for its Air Force and 26 Marine Rafale for its Navy from France. Now it is preparing for a new order. This deal for 114 fighter jets is worth approximately ₹3.25 lakh crore. If this deal goes through, the Indian Air Force will become the largest operator of Rafale aircraft after France.
