Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, was questioned at length by the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. He was trying to find out how the aeronautical group was going to organize itself with the LPM 2024-2030, which foresees a spread of orders for the Rafale, but also on the progress of the Scaf, the plane of the future designed in collaboration with Germany. and Spain
For the Rafale, French orders started this year with the delivery of 13 aircraft, then another 13 in 2024, 12 in 2025 and 1 in 2026.
“2040 is a very optimistic date.”
At the same time, the aircraft manufacturer is working on the evolutions of the Rafale and the Scaf. Phase 1B, for the demonstrator design, started at the beginning of the year.
Will this organization allow us to be prepared for 2040? The leader remains cautious in this schedule.
Should the program be extended to other countries? The Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, considered it necessary “to raise the question of extending the program to other partners, as long as it is of industrial and military interest.” He also justified this possibility of reducing the cost of this program estimated at 100,000 million euros.
The nEURON will be able to fly with the Rafale
As for sharing the tasks and fruits of labor with other countries, his position is clear. Belgium already seems to want to tackle the Scaf.
The formation of squadrons made up of combat planes and drones remains, as is planned to be done with the Scaf. At this point, Eric Trappier assures that the Rafale F5 will be capable of the nEUROn, a combat drone designed in the early 2000s. This UCAV (unmanned combat aircraft system) is the result of a partnership with 5 other countries (Sweden, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece). The demonstrator for this stealthy device was finalized in 2012.
Source: BFM TV
