Julian Moxon/PARIS
The French Government is reconsidering approving a multi-year procurement of the Dassault Rafale multi-role fighter in its 1998 defence budget, to bolster the programme's ailing credibility in the export market.
Defence minister Alain Richard told the French senate in December that the 1998 defence budget had "no provision" for purchasing air force Rafales. The need, however, to demonstrate the aircraft to potential customers in Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, along with the recent go-ahead decision on production of the rival Eurofighter, is said to have driven the review. Only 13 Rafales have been ordered so far, most of which are destined for the French navy, to equip the new Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.
The previous Government had promised to place a multi-year procurement order for 48 aircraft in the 1997-2002 defence budget, worth Fr17 billion ($2.84 billion), after Dassault Aviation met demands for a 10% reduction in programme cost.
The initiative was cancelled by the incoming socialist government, which made any decision subject to its forthcoming defence review, due in March.
The 294-aircraft Rafale programme (60 for the navy, 234 for the air force) has already been delayed by reviews to an in-service date of mid-2001 for the Navy and the end of 2005 for the air force.
A multi-year order would provide for an initial squadron of up to ten air force aircraft for demonstration purposes, which Dassault says would be ready by 2001.
The Government, which had put on ice the planned merger between Dassault and Aerospatiale, is understood to be making new proposals to Dassault president Serge Dassault, who had rejected any plan which took away control by the Dassault family.
Source: Flight International
