“We have the best plane in the world,” he said in 2011. Serge Dassaultthe former CEO of the manufacturer Dassault Aviation who passed away in May 2018. At the time, this statement left many experts wondering, and yet…
Launched in 1986 and put into service in 2002, the Rafale took time to win over the world’s armies. Today, the French fighter is the main, if not the only, competitor to the American F-35. Dassault now has an order book that will ensure its factories can operate for the next 10 years.
A total of 507 Rafales ordered
With the announcement of the 12 aircraft ordered by Serbia, sales total 507 aircraft sold (234 for France and 273 for export). These are only new aircraft. Adding the second-hand models sold in Greece (12) and Bosnia (12), the score reaches 287 French aircraft that are or will be in service with foreign armies.
The customers are Egypt with 55 aircraft, then Qatar (36), India (36), Greece (12), the United Arab Emirates (80), Indonesia (42 of which 18 ordered last January) and finally Serbia with 12 Rafale.
Securing deliveries
In July, when announcing the results, Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, spoke of “discussions” with a number of prospects, without mentioning any particular country.
Among these potential customers, some are already known, such as India, which has selected Rafale Marine to equip its new aircraft carriers compared to the F/A-18 Super Hornet. The Indian order reaches 26 aircraft and could be confirmed in 2025. Dassault is also in “talks” with Peru, Colombia and even Saudi Arabia.
The question now arises as to Dassault’s production capacity to deliver these devices on time. From 2025, the manufacturer will move to a rate of three devices assembled per month at the Mérignac site. To achieve this, Dassault has been helping its subcontractors, including many small companies, to achieve this performance for more than a year.
Source: BFM TV
