The Dassault Rafale has emerged as the leading contender for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) ambitious 114 multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) program, bolstered by a combination of high serviceability, operational versatility, and growing domestic support infrastructure.
According to Indian defence sources, the Rafale’s fleet has consistently demonstrated a serviceability rate of around 90 per cent—well above the IAF’s internal benchmarks and surpassing most frontline fighters in service globally, including the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35. For India’s planners, aircraft availability is just as critical as speed, armament, or sensor sophistication.
“In a high-intensity two-front conflict scenario, the real measure of air power is not the total number of jets on paper, but the number that can be launched immediately,” said a senior IAF official. “On this metric, the Rafale is unmatched within our current inventory.”
While modern fighter fleets worldwide often struggle to maintain mission-capable rates between 60 and 75 per cent—primarily due to complex avionics and challenging logistics—the Rafale has maintained near-perfect operational readiness. In practical terms, for every ten Rafales in a squadron, nine are ready to deploy at any given moment, effectively multiplying the combat power of the force.
Experts attribute this reliability to Dassault Aviation’s “maintainability-first” design approach. The Rafale employs a modular architecture with Line-Replaceable Units (LRUs), enabling ground crews to swap out critical avionics or mission systems directly on the flight line. This eliminates the need for prolonged hangar repairs and keeps the jets mission-ready.
Complementing this is an advanced predictive health monitoring system that tracks component performance in real time, forecasting potential failures before they occur. The result is a significant reduction in unscheduled downtime—a stark contrast to the F-35, whose complex Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) has often caused maintenance bottlenecks in operational fleets.
The comparison with the F-35 underscores the Rafale’s pragmatic advantages for India. While the American stealth fighter is unmatched in sensor fusion and low-observable capabilities, its mission-capable rate frequently hovers between 50 and 60 per cent, constrained by spare parts shortages, software glitches, and maintenance complexity. By contrast, the Rafale’s operational maturity allows it to sustain high-tempo operations from the mountainous bases of Ladakh to the maritime theatres of the Indian Ocean.
This operational edge is particularly relevant as the IAF plans for sustained surge operations in multiple theatres. “The Rafale is not just a fighter; it’s a workhorse. It is ready to operate under conditions that would strain other fifth-generation platforms,” said a defence analyst.
India’s evolving domestic support ecosystem further strengthens the Rafale’s case. Dassault Aviation has established a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Hyderabad, with plans to localize up to 80 per cent of components under the “Make in India” initiative for future orders. This local supply chain reduces dependency on foreign spares and improves turnaround times for critical maintenance.
Reports indicate that upcoming negotiations for additional Rafale units could include upgrades to the F4 standard, with the possibility of transitioning to the next-generation F5 variant in the coming years. Such upgrades would ensure that the IAF not only maintains high availability today but also remains at the cutting edge of aerial combat capability in the decades ahead.
Beyond sheer reliability, the Rafale continues to deliver on the “omni-role” promise. Its versatility allows it to conduct air superiority missions, precision strikes with SCALP cruise missiles, maritime operations, and even nuclear deterrence missions without the need for reconfiguration. Analysts argue that this flexibility is a force multiplier for the IAF, allowing rapid adaptation to diverse operational scenarios without compromising readiness.
The aircraft’s proven performance, combined with India’s growing indigenous support base, positions the Rafale as the pragmatic frontrunner for the MRFA tender. Defence officials believe that the platform’s ability to sustain high availability, coupled with its multi-mission capabilities, makes it ideal to form the backbone of India’s air combat strength for the next several decades.
“Operational readiness is not an abstract metric. It translates directly into combat effectiveness,” said an IAF strategist. “The Rafale’s track record shows that it can deliver on both availability and capability—a combination that is extremely rare among modern fighters.”
As the IAF evaluates its options for the 114-jet MRFA program, the Rafale’s reliability, maintainability, and versatility appear to provide it with an unmistakable edge over competitors. With plans to integrate more advanced variants and strengthen local support, the French fighter could soon solidify its role as the cornerstone of India’s air combat capability, ensuring readiness for both present and future challenges.
