Recently completed was the production of the 300th Rafale — a twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by
Dassault Aviation (in 2024, the company reported revenues of 6.2 billion euros and some 4,600 employees). The French manufacturer says this milestone reflects the operational, industrial, and commercial success of this combat aircraft, “which has no equivalent in its category in terms of versatility and proven operational effectiveness.
“Under the oversight of the Direction générale de l’Armement and the engineering management of Dassault Aviation, the Rafale programme brings along 400 French companies and is a cornerstone of France’s industrial and military sovereignty, thanks to the critical technologies it has developed and the export successes it has achieved.”
To date, 533 Rafale aircraft have received firm orders from France and eight export customer countries; 233 of these aircraft are yet to be delivered, and an increase in production rate to four aircraft a month is planned. The first Rafale units became operational with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air Force in 2006. Export deliveries began in 2015 with Egypt.
Meanwhile, last month saw the French Defense Procurement and Technology Agency (DGA) place an order with Dassault Aviation for five Falcon 2000 Albatros aircraft as part of the Maritime Surveillance and Intervention Aircraft (AVSIMAR) programme. A total of 12 aircraft is planned under this programme, of which seven were previously ordered in December 2020.
The Falcon 2000 Albatros is developed by Dassault Aviation in collaboration with Naval Group (a French defence industry company), Safran, and Thales. The aircraft are tested at Dassault Aviation’s flight test centre in Istres, southern France; the company’s Mérignac facility, in western France, is responsible for the conversion work.