Is Rafale dead?

"Thomas Schoene" wrote in message .net...
Skysurfer wrote:
Charles Talleyrand wrote :

I understand that the order to Dassault is for 28 aircraft, with
an option of 20 more. However, I have read on the web that
Dassault is to deliver 1 Rafale this year, and only 4 next year.
I have also read that there are only 13 operational Rafales with
the French Military.

Well, it has announced plans to order this many. However, actual orders are
120 thus far, plus 76 fairly firm projected orders in the 2003-08 budget
plan, for a total of about 200. The additional 100 will come after 2008,
and are obviously rather speculative.

Yes, but the verty slow rate of delivery makes me wonder about the
program. They will have delivered 18 Rafales in the eight years between
1997 and 2005. That's only 2.25 aircraft per year.

Sure, they plan to ramp up production. But their original plans never said
18 aircraft in 8 years, so I have doubts about the current plans to. Can
anyone comment on this?

http://www.awgnet.com/shownews/03paris/topstor02.htm


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