Thursday, February 12, 2015

The Rafale crosses (finally) the export wall – Challenges.fr

The Rafale crosses (finally) the export wall – Challenges.fr

The Rafale will be exported one day “. by Serge Dassault Eric Trappier, through Charles Edelstenne, CEOs who have succeeded at the head of Dassault Aviation repeated endlessly all the flowerbeds in front of incredulous journalists. Faced with American giants, was it too serious to want to impose a hunter 100% French? The confirmation of the sale of 24 aircraft to Egypt, the signing will take place Monday, February 16 in Cairo eventually prove them right.

The first foreign sale relieves the French budget Defense, only so far to fund the program by 45 billion for 286 aircraft. It also opens the way for other exports, particularly in Qatar and India, where negotiations are also nearing completion. This contract valued at 5 billion euros will not only benefit Dassault, but also to manufacturers such as Thales and Safran.



Three generations

For the manufacturer, it is the culmination of a project which had ended up forgetting it was designed by its founder, Marcel Dassault, before being carried by his son Serge, and his four children. Three generations for the same plane! The first “pencil strokes” were given in 1976: it was then to begin to imagine, at the request of the Ministry of Defence, the aircraft of the future could replace both units of the army of Air-including the Mirage IV nucléaire- vector of the weapon and those of naval aviation, while equipped with Crusader and Super-Etendard aging.

Cavalier alone

The idea, very new, is to design a device that can perform all the air missions, such as interception, penetration, ground attack or recognition: the prospect of rationalizing the fleet and unify the training of pilots and mechanics. An airplane “ omnirole” in the terminology home. While taking place in parallel negotiations to build a European airline -l’actuel Eurofighter- of France in 1985 chose to go it alone.



independent defense

Before died April 17, 1986, Marcel Dassault has had time to see the first prototype of its completely built aircraft, with its delta wings, plans “duck” mobile (two small retractable wings) and narrow nose, which gives silhouette recognizable appearance. Read more by clicking below.

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