Dassault Aviation reported the delivery of 26 Rafale fighter aircraft in 2025, including 15 for export customers and 11 for France, according to unaudited year-end figures. The company also confirmed 26 export Rafale orders linked to the Indian Navy and maintained a backlog of 220 aircraft.
Dassault reported a record backlog of €48.3 billion, with a current order book of 75 Falcon and 239 Rafale aircraft that includes 186 export orders after its latest order for 26 fighters from the Indian Navy, signed in April this year.
A greenfield facility being set up by Reliance will support the supply of explosives for medium and large caliber ammunition to Rheinmetall and is expected to have an annual capacity of 200,000 artillery shells, 10,000 tons of explosives and 2,000 tons of propellants.
The post-MMRCA narrative unfolding since April is one in which the Modi government has quietly reached out to at least three foreign OEMs to invite interest in building fighter aircraft in India.
Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar told Parliament on Thursday that the IAF tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) has been withdrawn.
This, first of a two-part analysis, examines the MMRCA process and invites you to draw your conclusions as to the veracity of the claims of transparency and adherence to the rule book.
With the USD 2.4 billion Mirage-2000 upgrade deal with France in its final stages, India’s defense ministry and air force top brass seem to be split over the high costs and likely benefits to the country’s future air power needs.
