The contract for the second tranche of Dassault Rafales, due to be signed by the French procurement agency and Dassault Aviation before the end of this year, faces a delay because of disagreement over the cost and certification of new components.
An industry source says electronic components used in the F1 air-superiority version are no longer available and that the manufacturer wants to charge too much for the new components, which will also have to be certificated. According to the source, money is available in this year's procurement budget to sign the contract for the 59 F2 air superiority and ground attack aircraft for the French air force but will not be paid until the government is satisfied it is "paying the right price for the components".The French navy has 10 Rafale F1s in service and the air force's first Rafale F1 will be delivered next year.
Source: Flight International
