French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation is setting up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility near Noida, aiming to provide support to the French-origin fighter jets in the Indian Air Force like Rafale and Mirage 2000, reported ANI.

Expected to begin operations in six months, the new firm Dassault Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul India (DAMROI) will expand its activities, reported ANI quoting defence officials.

“The French firm recently informed the Defence Ministry and the Indian Air Force about setting up a new Indian company Dassault Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul India (DAMROI) to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul support for the French-origin fighter aircraft in India,” defence officials told ANI.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force operates a fleet of 36 Rafales, which was inducted in the last few years, and around 50 Mirage 2000s, which was inducted in the 1980s.

Dassault is also setting up a new MRO company in line with India’s vision of Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) and would be opening the facility in one of industrial sectors of NOIDA in UP, added the report.

For the new MRO company, Dassault informed the Union Defence Ministry that they would appoint Indian national and old Dassault representative in India, with Posina Venkata Rao as its Chief Executive Officer.

Rao has been associated with Dassault Aviation in India for many decades and he will have a work force of both French and Indian nationals as part of the team.

Other plans:

Among other plans, Dassault also stated that they plan to progressively scale up the MRO activities at DAMROI in cooperation with Indian aeronautical industrial ecosystem, which would enhance the scope of support for fighter aircraft of French origin.

On the last legs of operations in India, the Jaguar deep penetration fighter jets can also be supported by the MRO as they also have French connections. Dassault is negotiating a deal with Indian Navy to sell its Rafale Marine jets.

According to the plan, Dassault is mulling to acquire 26 of these planes for the Indian Navy, which would be deployed on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The Indian Air Force has also prepared two bases for the Rafale fighters in Ambala and Hashimara.

With agency inputs.