Thales to Start Manufacturing RBE2 AESA Radar Components in Indian Partner Facilities

Indian Defence Industry Takes a Giant Leap Forward with Rafale Deal

In a significant development, India and France are set to ink a deal that will see the production of 90 out of 114 Rafale F4 Plus jets in India, with a private sector company in the country. This ambitious project, driven by the Indian government's push for 'Make in India,' aims to achieve nearly 60% localisation of aircraft components in the country. As part of this deal, the RBE2 AESA radar, manufactured by Thales, will also be partially made in India.

The RBE2's AESA antenna T/R (transmit/receive) modules are already being manufactured locally by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru. Additionally, SFO Technologies from Kochi has been roped in to supply complex wired structures for the program. However, these components are currently being shipped to Thales' facility in France for assembly before being integrated into the aircraft.

The proposed deal with France could potentially change this scenario, enabling the local assembly of the radar in India. Thales has a tie-up with BEL for the AESA radar planned for the new jets, which could potentially involve the scaling up of the existing T/R module role or even full radar production under the deal's offset clause.

While the Indian-made Rafale F4 Plus will come with a host of improvements to the AESA radar, the radar will still be based on older GaAs technology. The newer GaN technology will only be incorporated in the Rafale F5 Variant, which will feature the RBE2-XG radar. However, with funding only being cleared this year, the GaN technology is unlikely to be ready before Indian production of the Rafale starts.

The exact percentage of radar components that will be made locally is still unclear. However, it is expected that nearly 50% of the radar will be made up of Indian subsystems and modules. Thales will supply about 25% of the Rafale's equipment by value, including the radar, electronic warfare systems, displays, software, and communications. To meet Indian requirements for localisation of the jet, Thales will need to provide Technology Transfer (ToT) on non-essential systems in the radar.

According to sources, Thales plans to locally manufacture radar Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) and micro-modules, with some systems and sub-systems coming from France. The radar will be locally assembled, with a gradual increase in localisation of up to 50%. However, it remains to be seen if the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be granted access to the Integrated Computer Display (ICD) of the radar, which would enable them to locally integrate Indian-made weapons in the aircraft without requiring Thales' involvement.

The IAF and Ministry of Defence (MoD) are reportedly adamant that France provide India with access to the ICD if not the software code for the Mission Computers and Radar system. This would be a significant step forward for the Indian defence industry, enabling the country to take greater control over the development and integration of its military equipment.

Key Takeaways

• The RBE2 AESA radar, manufactured by Thales, will be partially made in India as part of the Rafale deal.
• Nearly 50% of the radar is expected to be made up of Indian subsystems and modules.
• Thales will supply about 25% of the Rafale's equipment by value, including the radar, electronic warfare systems, displays, software, and communications.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) are seeking access to the Integrated Computer Display (ICD) of the radar to enable local integration of Indian-made weapons in the aircraft.