France has ordered 42 new Rafale fighter jets and is expected to receive the first in 2027, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Friday.
Thus, the total number of Rafales purchased by France reaches 234. The latest Dassault aircraft, ordered for 5 billion euros, will give the French Air Force a modern operational capability, the minister said.
The Rafale is a multirole fighter that can be used to hunt enemy aircraft, attack land and sea targets, conduct reconnaissance and even deliver French nuclear warheads.
Friday’s announcement marks the first major purchase under France’s €413 billion military procurement plan for 2024-2030.
The plan, approved last July, envisaged a 40% increase compared to the previous seven years.
“I want France to continue to have an armed forces that set the standards for Europe,” President Emmanuel Macron said at the time.
Lecornu noted that the order will support “more than 7,000 jobs in more than 400 companies” in France.
Eric Trappier, Dassault’s chief executive, said in a statement that the Rafale is an example of “military-industrial sovereignty” that has made France an exception in Europe.
France, together with Germany and Spain, is participating in a program to develop the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) jet, which is expected to replace the Rafale from 2040.
2024-01-12 18:42:00
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