The story continues

Simple, robust, effective and beautiful, this propeller already embodied the DNA of Dassault’s future products.

« When Guynemer’s plane, ‘Le Vieux Charles’, with its 19 victories, was presented at the Invalides as a witness to his glory, I went to see it. Naturally I saw the propeller, one I had designed and built. I felt a lot of satisfaction, and maybe just a bit of pride. »

Marcel Dassault, Aviation Magazine, May 1, 1976.

At the end of 1917, the French Minister of Arms and War Production, Louis Loucheur, ordered 1,000 SEA IV planes. Marcel Bloch and Henry Potez had just won their first aircraft order. As Dassault later recalled in his memoirs, « ÀI was 26 years old and Potez was 27. It was a pretty good start. » Marcel Dassault, The Talisman

During a visit to Marcel Bloch’s home in 1930, as part of his interview for a job, Henri Déplante, future chief technical officer of Dassault, was surprised to see an incomplete all metal MB-60 trimotor mail plane in the stairway.

He was won over by the chance to work with new materials, and his decision was made: « I came, I saw, I was convinced. I want to work with this young boss! »

The prototype MB-80, built according to a State contract, performed its first flight at the beginning of the summer 1932 at Villacoublay, piloted by Zacharie Heu.

It was a completely metallic monoplane with low wings and equipped with a Lorraine 5 PC (120 CV engine).

It could reach a maximum speed of 190 km/h and a maximum height of 6 400 meters. Its take-off distance was 70 meters and its landing distance was 95 meters.

In autumn 1932, the MB-80 accomplished in one day and a half 209 landings flawlessly.

The MB-120 was designed for a program requiring a multipurpose aircraft to provide services to far-flung colonies, including exploration, liaison, medical evacuation and transport, along with the ability to perform ground attack and bombing missions.

The aircraft deserved its nickname of « The Indestructible ». It flew to distant locations which offered barely any maintenance facilities or personnel, proving to be very reliable under these conditions. Used by the Air Afrique transport authority, it would be Marcel Bloch’s first successful venture in the civil aviation sector.

In 1932, Marcel Bloch submitted a proposal for a French night bomber. He offered the MB-200, a fighter-bomber-reconnaissance plane derived from the MB-120 airliner, but improved and militarized. More than 200 would be produced.

It also gave Bloch his first export contract. In 1935, Czechoslovakia bought a production license for the MB-200, to be powered by a Czech engine. It would build 114 before the country was annexed by Germany in 1938.

The Bloch MB-210, which has a family resemblance with its predecessor, the Bloch MB-200, was originally the response to a Navy requirement for a heavy torpedo bomber in 1932.

The Marcel Bloch company began working on a response to the Navy requirement in 1933, using its own funding. The MB-210 adopted the same construction principles that had been developed for the MB-200. It was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane. The fuselage was built as a single assembly around four angle longerons, frames and a sheet metal skin. It had a rounded rectangular cross section. The totality of the metallic skin was stiffened by U-section stringers, giving the entire airframe its characteristic appearance.

The MB-220 twin-engine airliner made its first flight in 1936. It was a civilian derivative of the MB-210 bomber.

Used on Air France’s European routes, it was a very comfortable plane, holding up to 16 passengers. The MB-220 allowed Bloch, already well established in military aviation, to also become a full-fledged player in the civil aviation sector.

The prototype four-engined MB-160 was a direct extrapolation of the twin-engined MB-220. On 18th June 1937, André Curvale, the Bloch chief test pilot, performed its maiden flight. During the testing campaign, the prototype demonstrated that the aircraft was capable of flying with two engines shut down on the same side, and it came seventh in the Istres-Damas-Paris race in 1937.

The MB-152 was a rugged aircraft, offering a very stable firing platform and excellent damage resistance.

The GC II/I fighter group organized a contest with a unit flying the Morane 406 fighter. According to one of its men, « The Bloch showed better climb performance and higher speed. So why would anyone complain? We didn’t realize what a jewel we had... »

SHAA, G7/785, fighter group GC II/I logbook.

According to official records, French air force MB-152 fighters recorded 159 victories during the Battle of France in 1940, with 94 planes being lost in combat.

The Bloch MB-174 and MB-175, along with the Dewoitine D-520, were considered the best French airplanes of World War II.

On March 29, 1940, Captain Antoine de Saint-Exupéry flew one of his first wartime missions at the controls of an MB-174. That inspired his famous book, 'Pilot de guerre' ('Flight to Arras').

Saturday, October 4, 1947: it’s a very competitive atmosphere during flight trials at the Marignane airport, near Marseille. Three models, the Dassault Flamant MD-315, the SNCAC 701 Siebel and the SNCASO SO 94, are conducting a fly-off that will be determined by a single criterion: rate of climb. The winner earns a government order that will be decisive for the company’s future. Two days later, the Flamant is ranked “best in class”. More than 300 will be ordered, in three different versions: MD-311, 312 and 315.

The Flamant twin-engine transport would enjoy a long career. Several of these models are still being flown today by avid collectors.

Marcel Dassault quickly realized that jet fighters were the wave of the future. He started with a simple and realistic design, a first step towards more sophisticated versions.

The prototype made its first flight in 1949, and the production version was deployed by the French air force from 1952 to 1961.

It was flown by the French aerobatics team, the Patrouille de France, from 1954 to 1957. The Ouragan was also the first French military aircraft to be exported after the war, with 113 sold to India in 1953 and 24 to Israel in 1954.

Using the experience from the Ouragan’s first flights, Marcel Dassault managed to use a pre-production plane to improve its aerodynamic features. On February 11, 1950, he signed a contract to design and build thin-section wings that could fit an MD-450 Ouragan’s fuselage. The MD-452, later renamed Mystère, was thus born.

On October 28, Major Marion Davis flew n° 03. As opposed to French pilots, he knew the secret to directing the sound towards the public, and the much-anticipated boom was heard. Commander Roger Carpentier from the flight test center was the first Frenchman to officially break the sound barrier on December 12, 1952, in Brétigny.

Jacqueline Auriol was the first woman to do so, on August 15, 1953, in the cockpit of a Mystère II.

In 1953, just six months after the Mystère IV’s first flight, the French government placed an order for 225. The purchase was financed by the United States, which offered them to the French air force, as part of NATO’s air forces. This contract would propel Dassault into the international market.

The Mystère IV was deployed by the French air force from 1955 to 1982, and also used by the Patrouille de France aerobatics team from 1957 to 1963. At the Paris Air Show in 1957, the Patrouille de France, flying the Mystère IV, was the first aerobatics team in the world to use three-color smoke trails: blue, white, and red.

The total production count was 411, including 242 for France, 59 for Israel and 110 for India.

The Étendard IV M was the first time carrier-borne airplane designed by Dassault, and the first French-designed jet airplane to be deployed on the country's aircraft carriers.

Through the development of the Étendard, the company discovered the many constraints of naval operation: low-speed handling, catapult launches, deck landings, etc. The Étendard IV M made its first flight in 1958. Test flights were supervised by Serge Dassault and Roland Glavany, chief test pilot.

The French navy would order a total of 90 aircraft, including 21 in the photo reconnaissance version, Étendard IV P.

The Super-Mystère B-2 was the first production fighter in Western Europe to go supersonic in horizontal flight at low attitude. The prototype made its first flight in 1956. Dassault and state-owned companies split the production of 180 aircraft between 1957 and 1959.

A total of 154 Super-Mystère B-2 were delivered to the French air force. It was deployed as a daytime interceptor from 1958 to 1977. Israel ordered 24 Super-Mystère B-2s in 1958.

The Mirage III multirole fighter was produced on a single final assembly line. Each customer received a baseline aircraft, and could choose from among several versions depending on the equipment to be fitted. The Mirage III and Mirage 5 remained in operational service with the French air force from 1961 to 1994.

On June, 1962, Jacqueline Auriol, at the controls of a production-standard Mirage III C, set a new world speed record for women, flying a 100-kilometer closed circuit at a speed of 1,849 kilometers per hour (1,149 mph). On June 14, 1963, she raised the record to 2,030 km/h (1,261 mph), this time flying a Mirage IIIR.

The Mirage III's combat effectiveness and its deployment by General de Gaulle as a weapon of diplomacy contributed to the plane's export success. A total of 1,401 Mirage III and derivated models Mirage 5 and Mirage 50 would be built in 80 different versions for 20 countries around the world.

The international situation in November 1956, especially the Suez crisis, spurred a change in France’s arms policy. France officially decided to acquire nuclear capability, meaning warheads as well as the platforms needed to carry them, starting with an aircraft.

The powerful twin-engine Mirage IV 01, ordered in April 1957, made its first flight on June 17, 1959 at Melun-Villaroche, near Paris, flown by Roland Glavany. The French government decided to give Dassault full responsibility for this aircraft, including the bomb (except for the nuclear warhead), and the nav-attack system. Everything would be governed by a single decision center, under the control of the ministerial delegation for arms. This approach was employed by the government to guarantee the overall accuracy of the weapon system, and to keep the program on schedule.

The Mirage IV A entered service in October 1964. It was Europe’s first operational nuclear bomber, capable of long-range flights at speeds exceeding Mach 2. A total of 62 would be produced, and this aircraft would remain in service with the French air force until 2005.

The MD-415 Communauté had a pressurized fuselage and could carry about ten passengers as well as a considerable battery of weapons (two 30-mm cannons, bombs, rockets and air-to-ground missiles) for air strikes.

With its twin Turboméca Bastan turboprops, the MD-415 made its maiden flight at Bordeaux-Mérignac on May 10, 1959, piloted by Paul Boudier, Dominique Mourey and Jean Dillaire.

The MD-410 Spirale was a short take-off and landing aircraft, which could also carry the logistics back-up of the vertical take-off Mirages.

While keeping the wings and engines of the Communauté, the Spirale had a narrower fuselage, better suited to ground attack missions. Weighing 5.5 tonnes, it had some 90% of parts in common with the Communauté.

The Spirale nonetheless made its maiden flight at Bordeaux-Mérignac on April 8, 1960, with Paul Boudier and Gilles Brecq at the controls.

The Atlantic was an aircraft of 43t at take-off, powered by two Tyne turbo-propos of 5,500 hp, with a 12-man crew for missions lasting up to 18 hours, crossing a distance of about 8,000 km (4,300 nm) at a maximum velocity of 650 km/hr (350 knots).

The first was flown at Toulouse on October 31, 1961, piloted by Bernard Witt assisted by Romeo Zinzoni and René Périneau.

An experimental single-seater for the study and development of the vertical take-off Mirage III V, the Balzac V 001 carried neither weapons nor operational equipment.

The lift jets were to be supplied with air via four intakes situated above the fuselage, while their exhaust pipes would be situated above the fuselage, while their exhaust pipes would be situated in apertures with blanking caps which would be closed during normal raid flight.

This was the beginning of modern flight controls (absence of linkage and redundancy). Balzac V 001 was also the first aircraft to transmit flight data to the ground by telemetering.

Dassault packed this aircraft with the technical solutions it had tried and tested in military applications. In particular, these included the three-axis servo controls, fine-tuned aerodynamics using the day’s state-of-the-art systems, and “conical wing cambers” akin to the ones used on the Mirage and Concorde, designed by ONERA.

René Bigand took the Mystère 20 prototype on its first flight on May 4, 1963.

The Mirage III V, a Mach 2 aircraft heavier than the Balzac, prefigured the operational version. It had eight Rolls-Royce RB 162-1 lift jets and a Snecma TF 106 with afterburner, the French version of the Pratt&Whitney JTF 10 turbofan.

Mirage III V 01, equipped with a TF 104 b turbofan (63.7 kN of thrust with reheat) made its first stationary flight at Melun-Villaroche on February 12, 1965, piloted by René Bigand.

The Mirage F1, whose development was funded by Dassault and its partners, first flew in 1966. It exceeded Mach 2 on its fourth flight. The Mirage F1 was a Mach 2 fighter that could land at lower speeds than the Mirage III (125 knots), thanks to lift augmentation devices that were very difficult to incorporate on such a thin wing. Production of this aircraft was split between several partners and subcontractors: Aerospatiale, Latécoère, CASA (Spain), Fairey and SABCA (Belgium). It would be deployed by the French air force from 1973 to 2014. The Mirage F1 was also a big hit in export markets: out of the 725 built, 473 were exported to ten countries.

On July 9, 1965, the management of the Corporation’s General Technical Department decided on the definition of a Mirage III E with a simplified layout. This low altitude tactical support and patrol aircraft was named the Mirage 5.

In place of the radar, the nose cone was to be fitted with the electronic navigation and attack equipment, thereby providing space for extra fuel. More attachment points were provided for external loads, while the booster rocket was removed.

The Mirage 5 first flew at Melun-Villaroche on May 19, 1967, piloted by Hervé Leprince-Ringuet. A total 517 units have been produced for 11 different countries. The Mirage 5 is Dassault’s most widely exported combat aircraft.

In just over three years, Dassault came up with the design needed to fit the wing pivot points in a fuselage. On November 18, 1967, Jean Coureau took off in the twin-seat Mirage G. It was followed by the Mirage G 8-01 and 02.

On July 1973, Jean-Marie Saget hit Mach 2.34 at the controls of the Mirage G 8-02, a speed unrivaled in Western Europe.

The aerodynamics of the MD-320 were derived from the Communauté and its wings from the Mystère 20. Cabin capacity and range were as for the Mystère 20. The engines were 870 hp Turboméca Astazou XIVs. Though its speed was only 270 knots – as against 430 for the Mystère 20 – it only cost half the price.

It made its maiden flight at Bordeaux-Mérignac on September 11, 1968 with Hervé Leprince-Ringuet and Jean Coureau at the controls.

The first flight of the Jaguar took place on September 8, 1968 at Istres, piloted by Bernard Witt.

The Falcon 10, whose structural design is similar to that of Dassault’s military aircraft, bore a certain family resemblance to the Mystère-Falcon 20, but it was smaller. Pan Am placed an order for this new executive jet in December 1969, a year before its first flight on December 1, 1970. Production would call on subcontractors not only in France, but also in Spain and Italy. The Falcon 10 quickly acquired a reputation as the world’s fastest business aircraft. It was capable of crossing the United States with a single stopover faster than aircraft which could fly non-stop. Pilots quickly nicknamed the Falcon 10 “The Corporate Bullet”. The third prototype (Falcon V10F) was used for tests of carbon-fiber wings. A total of 229 Falcon 10 business jets would be built.

The Mercure, which made its first flight in 1971, was a short/medium-haul single-aisle commercial jet with 130 to 150 seats. It featured a sophisticated design to ensure the most economical operation possible. The production of this new airplane required modified or new facilities: Martignas, Seclin, Poitiers and Istres. Production was overseen by Dassault as prime contractor, with partners and subcontractors in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada. The Mercure was the first major joint European program for a commercial airplane, heralding future large-scale partnerships such as Airbus. Air Inter deployed 11 Mercure jets, which remained in service until 1995. The Mercure logged 360,000 flight hours, carried 44 million passengers on 440,000 flights without any accidents, and posted an on-time record of 98%.

The Alpha Jet is a twin-engine, twin-seat trainer and tactical support aircraft, designed jointly by Dassault and Dornier to address the program specifications defined by the French and German air forces.

This new aircraft made its first flight in 1973. Since being commissioned in 1978, the technical design of the Alpha Jet has evolved to keep pace with progress in nav-attack systems.

Ten countries ordered more than 500 Alpha Jets, and it has been used by the Patrouille de France aerobatics team since 1981.

The French navy wanted to revamp its aircraft fleet in the early 1970s, and Dassault offered a modernized version of the Étendard IV M. The main upgrades concerned the propulsion system, wings and weapon suite. It was the first production aircraft in France to be fitted with an integrated nav-attack system. The Super Étendard made its first flight on October 28, 1974. The French navy ordered 71 of these carrier-borne fighters, with Argentina taking another 14.

Hervé Leprince-Ringuet and Gérard Joyeuse took the Falcon 50’s maiden flight. It was powered by three Garrett TFE 731-3 jet engines, and flew out of Bordeaux-Mérignac on November 7, 1976.

In December 1976, the company’s authorities decided to revamp the prototype, fitting improved wings. Its first flight with the new wings took place on May 6, 1977, out of Istres, again at the hands of Hervé Leprince-Ringuet and Gérard Joyeuse. The plane proved hopes invested in the wing design to be well-founded. The Falcon 50 became the world’s first civil aircraft featuring supercritical wings, and secured certification on February 27, 1979.

The first Falcon 20 G (n° 362), the first aircraft to be equipped with two ATF-3 turbofans, flew in Mérignac on 28 November 1977, with Hervé Leprince-Ringuet at the controls.

The medium-range maritime surveillance model derived from the Falcon 20 G was designated HU-25 A Guardian. A total of 41 aircraft were completed in Little Rock. Seven aircraft were fitted with the “Aireye” system, designed to perform scientific and maritime environmental protection missions, particularly locating and monitoring oil spills.

The Mirage 2000, while similar in appearance to the Mirage III, was actually a brand-new aircraft. It featured a number of innovations, such as the widespread us of composite materials, fly-by-fly controls and a digital nav-attack system.

Design by Dassault using its own funds, the Mirage 2000 would give birth to a complete family of aircraft that proved their multirole capability in a wide range of missions.

The Mirage 4000 was derived from concepts developed for the Mirage 2000. In fact, these two new aircraft were designed and built at the same time. Making its first flight in 1979, the Mirage 4000 was designed and built at Dassault’s own initiative and using its own funds, with financial and technical backing from other members of the French aviation industry.

As early as its sixth test flight, the Mirage 4000 broke the Mach 2 barrier, an exceptional achievement at the time. Its performance capabilities, based on these tests, exceeded those of all other aircraft in its class. The Mirage 4000 did not enter production, but it would contribute to the development of the new flight controls needed for the delta-canard configuration, which would later be refined for the Rafale.

The ATL2 is the only maritime patrol aircraft in the world purpose-designed for a full range of missions: prevention (intelligence gathering), projection (anti-submarine warfare) and protection (at-sea rescue).

It can also be deployed in theaters of operation to carry out missions over land. The ATL-2 airframe is a joint production by a European consortium.

The major innovation on the ATL2 is a weapon system that incorporates data fusion, greatly facilitating the crew’s task by displaying the general tactical situation.

Intercontinental business twinjet EASy II flight deck, exported.

F3-R is an upgraded version of the F3 standard ties in with the continuous improvement approach adopted for the aircraft, based on lessons learned.

Intercontinental business jet with an ultra wide cabin featuring a brand new wing, an advanced digital flight control system and a sky light window.

The French and British governments award a 250 million euro contract for a feasibility study to prepare the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) to Dassault Aviation, BAE Systems and their partners. This program for an advanced unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) will complement the military aircraft now in service.

Intercontinental business jet ultra long range segment, new generation of EASy flight deck, Honeywell’s next-generation 3D color weather radar system with enhanced turbulence detection capability.

In February 2015, Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, signs the first Rafale export contract, with Egypt, for 24 aircraft. In May 2021, the Arab Republic of Egypt announced its decision to acquire an additional 30 Rafales.

In May 2015, the government of Qatar places an order for 24 Rafales, completed in December 2017 with an additional 12 Rafales.

The Falcon 2000 MRA “Maritime Multi-Role Aircraft” is designed for surveillance, reconnaissance missions, anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare, and fleet training.

In September 2016, New Dehli signs a contract to acquire 36 Rafales for the Indian Air Force.

Another major milestone in the European Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS) programme, in collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space and Leonardo, was attained with the achievement of the System Preliminary Design Review.

Based on military technologies, this combined vision system is available on the Falcon 8X, 900LX and 2000. FalconEYE offers pilots an unprecedented combination of computer-generated and infrared images for perfect vision day or night, under any weather conditions.

The Falcon 6X is the latest example of the ability to marry military-grade technology with business aviation expertise that makes Dassault Aviation so distinctive and successful. Its efficiency, performance and safety capabilities set a new benchmark in the long-range business jet segment. The Falcon 6X also sets a new standard for comfort and cabin space.

The F4 standard is part of the ongoing process to continuously improve the Rafale in line with technological progress and operating experience feedback.

The Archange airborne strategic intelligence program was announced in December 2019.

Greece ordered 18 Rafales (including 12 second-hand) in January 2021, and 6 more in March 2022.

Demonstrator for a new generation combat system developed in Franco-German-Spanish cooperation under the leadership of Dassault Aviation: phase 1A launched in February 2020, phase 1B launched in December 2022.

In April 2020 and May 2021, we delivered the third and fourth ATL2s that were slated for upgrading to standard 6. In September 2020, we signed the vertically-integrated Océan contract, which grants us responsibility for providing support for French ATL2s (with the exception of engines and maintenance services provided by the French Air and Space Force) for a period of ten years.

The Falcon 6X completed its first flight on March 10, 2021, paving the way for its certification test campaign. It was rolled out on December 8, 2020, without an audience in attendance, but the event was broadcast live on the web and social networks.

Unveiled on May 6, 2021, the Falcon 10X is set to be the most spacious, comfortable and innovative business jet on the market. It will have a top speed of Mach 0.925 and a range of 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 km) and will be powered by 2 Rolls Royce Pearl 10X engines with a combined thrust of over 16,000 pounds (lbf). Its entry into service (EIS) is scheduled for late 2025.

On November 25, 2021, Croatia signed a government-to-government contract for the acquisition of 12 Rafales from the French Air and Space Force. The country also signed a three-year logistics support contract with Dassault Aviation. Croatia is the company’s fifth export customer for the Rafale, and the second in Europe to make this sovereign choice, as well as a first-time Dassault Aviation customer.

On February 10, 2022, Indonesia signed a two-phase contract for 42 Rafales (6 plus 36). The deal provides for delivery of a comprehensive solution, including training, logistical support and offsets. Indonesia is a first-time customer for Dassault Aviation and its second Rafale customer in the Indo-Pacific region.

Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 6X entered service on November 30, 2023.

At the end of December 2023, the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) awarded Dassault Aviation an order for 42 Rafale combat aircraft, known as “tranche 5”, for the French Air Force (AAE).

On August, 29, 2024, Éric Trappier and Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić signed a contract for the purchase of 12 Rafales, with the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, in attendance. Serbia thus joins the ranks of Dassault’s defense customers, becoming the eighth country worldwide, and the third in Europe, to acquire the Rafale.

On October 8, 2024, Sébastien Lecornu, French Armed Forces Minister, announced the launch of the development phase of an unmanned combat air system (UCAS) intended for integration into the Rafale F5 standard after 2030. Drawing on the achievements of the nEUROn program, this system will be designed to enable collaborative combat.

The Falcon 2000LXS Albatros made its maiden flight at Mérignac on January 24, 2025. The Albatros will provide the French Navy with invaluable support in its search and rescue, fisheries policing, anti-pollution and anti-trafficking missions.

The contract for Falcon Albatros maritime surveillance and intervention aircraft (AVSIMAR) was announced in November 2020.

On January 29, 2025, took place the presentation of the first F4-standard Rafale for the United Arab Emirates, in Istres, France, in the presence of the Emirati Minister of State for Defense Affairs and the French Minister of the Armed Forces.

The United Arab Emirates purchased 80 Rafale F4s in 2021, which is the largest military export order ever secured by Dassault Aviation.