Dassault Aviation News

AeroTime

Rafale F4 advances collaborative electronic warfare as NATO’s NH90 Block 1 begins flight testing

Dassault Aviation and Harmattan AI have completed an airborne collaborative combat trial involving a Rafale F4 and the NAMIB-equipped unmanned system. Separately, NHIndustries and NATO’s helicopter agency flew the first NH90 in Software Release 3, adding Link 22, upgraded sensors and enhanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

AINonline

Dassault suspends Falcon Jet manufacturing as fires near Mérignac disrupt operations

Dassault has halted some Falcon Jet manufacturing activity after nearby fires closed or threatened sites near its Mérignac factory and related facilities. The company also moved certain “sensitive equipment” from other locations close to Bordeaux, underscoring how wildfire risk is propagating into European aerospace production.

AeroTime

France mobilizes an Airbus A400M to combat Gironde wildfires, disrupting Airbus and Rafale-area aerospace operations

France’s military deployed an Airbus A400M to help fight out-of-control wildfires burning west of Bordeaux in late July 2026. As fires threatened the region, aerospace firms—including Dassault, Thales and ArianeGroup—closed nearby sites, while Dassault moved sensitive equipment to Merignac and nearby air-base facilities after the Gironde wildfire idled the Rafale assembly line.

FlightGlobal

FCAS fallout, UK drone sovereignty, and next-gen combat air: Dassault, British Corvus/CCA, and Helsing’s CA-1 Europa move ahead

Europe’s next-generation combat air and drone ecosystems are taking shape as France’s FCAS partnership collapse prompts Dassault to revisit a French future fighter concept, while the UK emphasizes domestic autonomy via Project Corvus and expands its collaborative combat aircraft roadmap. Separately, HENSOLDT will equip Helsing’s CA-1 Europa with CAIRAS missile-warning tech.

Reuters

High activity

RTX, Lockheed Martin and Thales lift outlook amid sustained defense demand and higher aerospace aftermarket activity

RTX raised 2026 sales and profit forecasts, linking the outlook to continued commercial maintenance demand and military systems growth while the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan supply challenge persists. In parallel, Lockheed Martin increased its 2026 guidance as the Pentagon seeks to restock weapons, and Thales booked stronger orders supported by defense and satellite programs.

FlightGlobal

High activity

Dassault pivots after FCAS breakup: Rafale successor demo plans by 2032 alongside Falcon 10X delay to after 2029

Following the termination of the trinational New Generation Fighter/FCAS program, Dassault Aviation is moving to develop a Rafale successor via an independent combat-aircraft demonstration effort targeted for 2032. In parallel, Dassault has pushed Falcon 10X entry into service to no earlier than 2029, citing schedule slippage tied to tighter post–A320neo/max-style certification requirements.

FlightGlobal

Dassault delays Falcon 10X citing tighter post-Max certification rules

Reuters

Dassault Aviation lifts first-half sales and profit while keeping full-year targets unchanged as defense spending accelerates

Dassault Aviation reported higher first-half earnings and said it will keep its targets unchanged. The company attributed the performance to an environment where global military spending is accelerating, even as defense primes face pressure to reduce record order backlogs.