This week, La Loupe has chosen to focus on the French flagship of aeronautics, Dassault, which recently changed direction. In this episode, we look at one of the group’s greatest successes: the Rafale. With the insight of Béatrice Mathieu, senior reporter specializing in the economy at L’Express.
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The team: Charlotte Baris (presentation), Léa Bertrand (writing) Jules Krot (editing and production)
Credits: Public Senate, Le Site Info, TV5 Monde, INA
Music and dressing: Emmanuel Herschon/Studio Torrent
Logo: Jérémy Cambour
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Charlotte Baris: It is February 16, 2015. In Cairo, in the state rooms of the el-Orouba Palace, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Eric Trappier, the CEO of Dassault Aviation, are holding their breath.
Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, the Egyptian president, has just announced the bombing of several sites of the Libyan branch of the Islamic State. A few days earlier, the terrorist group released a video showing the beheading of 21 Egyptians of Coptic origin. This is the first time that Egypt has confirmed having carried out airstrikes against Daesh.
A few hours after the attack on Libya, the Egyptian president signed a contract with the two Frenchmen: Bercy will have to supply 24 Rafales to Egypt. A historic sale, the first for the French aircraft. Amount of the deal: 5.2 billion euros. In addition to the Rafale, the agreement also provides for the delivery of a multi-mission frigate and the sale of missiles.
The final details of the agreement were negotiated between François Hollande and al-Sissi a few weeks earlier, in Saudi Arabia. Each member of the “French team” played their role: the Elysée, the Quai d’Orsay, the General Directorate of Armaments… and Dassault. From the Mirage to the Rafale, including Falcon business jets, Dassault Aviation has been through it all: political hesitations, technical difficulties, commercial failures… Until the successes of recent years.
To go further:
Dassault, the silent revolution: the secrets of a war of succession
Faced with Putin, the giant leap of European defense
Who will be the successful manufacturers? The vision of the boss of Dassault Systèmes