March 2026
The current military, geopolitical and economic climate is fraught with uncertainty. France has a number of strengths that it can draw on to address this situation, not least its long-standing strategic autonomy, in which we have played an active role for over sixty years. Thanks to its decades of experience, Dassault Aviation too is equipped to meet these challenges.
The Rafale posted a strong performance in 2025, with 26 aircraft sold to the Indian Navy and 26 delivered to our customers (ahead of the target of 25). For an increasing number of countries, our highly versatile combat aircraft epitomizes efficiency and sovereignty.
In terms of civil aircraft, our Falcon range made steady gains: 31 business jets ordered (up from 26 in 2024) and 37 delivered (up from 31). The specter of US tariffs did not help matters. For the first half of the year, securing orders and delivering to the United States proved challenging.
As regards after-sales support, we have beefed up our civil and military maintenance teams to sustain the high level of service our customers have come to expect.
With an order book comprising 220 Rafale and 73 Falcon aircraft, we have a lot on our plate. I would like to applaud all those involved in meeting these production challenges, both within the company and throughout our supply chain. Hard work and discipline remain the keys to success in this highly competitive market.
Dassault Aviation has made several investments, particularly related to scaling up Rafale production and the launch of the Falcon 10X: a brand-new factory in Cergy (the first in fifty years), expanded facilities in Istres and Martignas, a major Falcon maintenance center in Florida, and new buildings in Mérignac.
We continue to pursue our digital transformation, in particular with 3DExperience, APRISO and our development work in the area of artificial intelligence (AI). To this end, we have forged strategic partnerships, not only with the French Ministry of Defense’s AI Agency, but also with Thales and the start-up Harmattan, with a view to accelerating the integration of supervised autonomy and sovereign AI into our air combat systems.
For Dassault Aviation, 2026 will be another landmark year.
We are continuing to make investments as part of the Make in India policy. This will enable us to manufacture components for the Falcon—and in future for the Rafale—locally, in conditions that combine the benefits of high quality and competitiveness. We have signed new manufacturing agreements with major Indian firms, including the Tata Group. A few months ago, the Indian government began direct negotiations to add 114 Rafale fighter jets to the 62 already on order. We are sparing no effort to secure this important contract, part of which will be fulfilled in India.
After a spectacular rollout on March 10, 2026, in Mérignac, the Falcon 10X’s development process is set to continue with its flight test campaign. The largest and most innovative business jet in our range, this magnificent aircraft has a very bright future ahead of it—just like its fellow Falcons, such as the new Falcon 6X, not to mention the 8X and 2000LXS models. In addition, deliveries of the Falcon Albatros to the French Navy are underway, while work continues on the Falcon Archange for the French Air and Space Force. These multirole aircraft are invaluable when it comes to surveillance and intelligence-gathering.
The Rafale continues to evolve to meet the challenges that await the air forces of the future: our teams are finalizing the F4 standard and are already working on the F5 standard. We are also busy with the development of our combat drone and the future combat aircraft.
Lastly, we have launched the Vortex space plane project, which will open up new possibilities in terms of space missions.
So, that’s our roadmap for 2026. The task ahead is both challenging and ambitious. Be they military or civilian, located in France or overseas, our customers count on us more than ever. Just as in the past, Dassault Aviation is ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.