Good news for the French arms industry. The Ministry of the Armed Forces has placed an order for 42 additional Rafale combat aircraft, representing an “investment of more than 5 billion euros”, Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced this Friday, January 12 on the social network X.
This order, planned for a long time and included in the 2023 budget, brings to 234 the number of these devices ordered by Paris since the launch of the program. Deliveries must be spread out between 2027 and 2032. In detail, the contract concerns the order of 30 aircraft for “tranche 5” of equipment for the French army with Rafale, as well as 12 aircraft intended to replace the Rafale of the Air Force sold second-hand in 2021 to Croatia.
“First major order financed by the LPM (military programming law, editor’s note), it illustrates French industrial excellence and contributes to more than 7,000 jobs in more than 400 companies in France”, welcomed Sébastien Lecornu on X.
For Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, the Rafale is an instrument of “sovereignty” for France. “This military industrial sovereignty constitutes an exception in Europe. It ensures the superiority of our combat aviation. It is also an asset of diplomatic influence and economic power with export,” he believes, quoted in a press release.
The Rafale is a so-called multirole combat aircraft, capable of carrying out air defense, reconnaissance or bombing missions. Capable, in its Navy version, of taking off from an aircraft carrier, it is also the vector of French nuclear deterrence.
The Rafale M combat aircraft
© / afp.com/Laurence SAUBADU, Sylvie HUSSON
Late export success
Once considered unsaleable outside of France, the device, which entered service in 2004 in the French navy, enjoyed belated export success. In recent years, Dassault’s aircraft has made a breakthrough in the Middle East since Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are equipped with it. Last October, the French Minister of the Armed Forces confirmed “discussions” underway with Saudi Arabia.
Of the 495 new aircraft ordered at this stage, 261 have been ordered by seven foreign customers (in addition to the three Middle Eastern countries, these are Greece, Croatia, Indonesia and India).