Dassault, Exports and the Next Generation Fighter Aircraft

03/07/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - Dassault Aviation insisted on being appointed lead prime contractor and architect on a European next generation fighter jet, and also lead contractor on the fighter’s flight control system, executive chairman Eric Trappier said March 4. “These are two red lines,” he said on the sidelines…

The Eurodrone Program Moves Ahead: February 2022

03/01/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - OCCAR, a European procurement agency, signed Feb. 24, 2022 a contract worth €7.1 billion ($8 billion) with Airbus Defence and Space as prime contractor for a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone, marking a step in the European pursuit of military, industrial, and political independence. “The Eurodrone program…

The CH-53K and Transformation of the USMC and the IDF

02/27/2022
By Robbin Laird The CH-53K comes into the USMC and into the Israeli Defence Force as both are in the process of transformation. The two forces are on different transformation paths with different adversaries as focal points, but this platform is coming to both forces as they are working new…

Indonesia Deepens French Defense Industrial Cooperation: Rafales Displace Su-35 Buy

02/10/2022
By Pierre Tran Paris - Indonesia ordered on Feb. 10, 2022, 42 Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter jets and missiles in a package worth $8.1 billion, with delivery of a first batch of six units in 2025, a French defense official said. “The chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier,…

French Arms Sales: A 2021 Update

12/09/2021
By Pierre Tran Paris - France expects to win arms export orders worth more than €30 billion ($34 billion) spread over this year and 2022, mainly due to sales of the Rafale fighter jet, Thierry Carlier, head of the international development department of the Direction Générale de l’Armement procurement office,…

An Update on European Defense Industrial Cooperation: December 2021

12/07/2021
By Pierre Tran Paris - Airbus Defence and Space and Dassault Aviation are still in detailed talks for a development contract for a next generation fighter, a key element in a planned European future combat air system, said Michael Schoellhorn, chief executive of the Airbus unit. “Some points still need…

Moving Beyond Its Legacy Fleet of Mirages and F-16s: The UAE Adds Rafales to Its F-35 Buy

12/03/2021
By Pierre Tran Paris - The United Arab Emirates signed Dec. 3, 2021 contracts worth a total €17 billion ($19 billion) for 80 Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter jets, MBDA missiles, and 12 Airbus Helicopter Caracal H225M helicopters, the armed forces ministry said. The UAE Tawazun arms acquisition authority signed Rafale…