Latest news with #Dassault
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine suffered its first loss of a French fighter jet after equipment failure forced its pilot to eject
Ukraine lost a French-made Mirage fighter on Tuesday, saying it was due to a malfunction. France delivered six of the fourth-generation jets in February to bolster Ukraine's air force. No casualties were reported, and the pilot ejected safely, Ukraine said. Ukraine's air force said on Tuesday that one of its Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters crashed due to a malfunction, marking its first loss of the French-donated jet. It's a blow to Ukraine's limited fleet of Western fourth-generation aircraft, which Kyiv spent years urging its allies to help build amid Russia's invasion. Ukraine is believed to have received six Mirage 2000-5 fighters, meaning it likely has five left. Local media reported in December that Ukraine requested 12 to 20 of the single-seat French jets in total. The Mirage downed on Tuesday was performing a flight mission, the Ukrainian air force said in a statement. "On the evening of July 22, 2025, during the execution of a flight mission on a Mirage-2000 fighter jet, a failure of aviation equipment occurred, which the pilot reported to the flight director," the statement read. "He then acted competently, as required in crisis situations, and successfully ejected. The search and rescue team found the pilot, his condition is stable," it added. No casualties were reported. The air force said it would investigate the incident under a special commission. France first delivered Ukraine's Mirages in February. It said it had also added several upgrades, including an electronic warfare system, that allow the jets to approach and strike ground targets more effectively. Still, Kyiv has largely used its Western aircraft for safer air defense missions, destroying Russian drones and missiles within its airspace. Kyiv is also believed to have over 50 US-made F-16 Fighting Falcons, though it's been pledged roughly 85 of the jets in total from European nations. Four of its F-16s have been reported destroyed, some in combat. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his evening address on Tuesday that Russia did not shoot down the Mirage. "Unfortunately, we lost our combat aircraft today, a French machine, a very effective one. One of our Mirage jets," Zelenskyy said. "The pilot managed to save himself, and this was not a Russian shoot-down." The Mirage is also one of Ukraine's few platforms for firing the powerful, long-range Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles that the UK and France have given Ukraine. The F-16 is not configured to launch this munition. Upgraded versions of the French jet, which first entered operational service in the 1980s, can cost about $43 million each. The multirole version given to Ukraine, the Mirage 2000-5, was fully introduced into the French air force in 1997. Paris is now moving toward retiring the jet, phasing out older variants since 2022 in favor of the newer Rafale fighter. Dassault and Ukraine's air force did not respond immediately to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
France 24
9 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
Macron-Merz to hold talks on NATO and EU-US trade row
Macron and Merz, who took power in May, have been at pains to boost the bilateral partnership at the heart of the European Union as US President Donald Trump has rocked transatlantic ties. "The most important message is: the Franco-German couple is back at work," the French presidency said ahead of Macron's planned dinner with Merz. Paris and Berlin, along with London and Warsaw, have pushed efforts to support Ukraine against Russia and build up the defence capabilities of NATO's European member states. But while Paris has signalled a willingness to send peacekeeping troops to monitor a possible Ukraine ceasefire, Berlin has so far voiced no plans to contribute. Merz and Macron were also expected to discuss the trade dispute with the United States after Trump threatened 30-percent tariffs against the EU if no deal is reached by August 1. Combat jet discord "In the tariff dispute with the USA, we are now approaching the decisive phase," Merz said Tuesday, urging "a fair and reliable agreement with low tariff rates" that strengthens the transatlantic market. The two leaders also have to discuss bilateral stumbling blocks, from a joint defence project to energy and trade policy. There has been disagreement over a combat aircraft to be made jointly with Spain. Merz has objected to the idea of a greater leadership role for France while expressing confidence an agreement can be reached. The head of French defence company Dassault, Eric Trappier, on Tuesday suggested that the viability of the project was in doubt. "We have to question the effectiveness of a project which is run by three countries ... where there isn't one real leader but three," he told a press conference. Another tricky area is energy, where France relies heavily on nuclear power, which Germany has decided to phase out as it shifts to solar and wind power. Paris wants Berlin to commit to "technology neutrality" and effectively classify nuclear energy as climate friendly. Germany's previous government of the Social Democrats and Greens rejected this, but Merz's centre-right CDU/CSU may be more open to the idea. In a joint newspaper article in May, both leaders pledged a "restart in energy policy" and "equal treatment at the EU level for all low-emission energies". Another area of discord has been an EU trade deal long in the works with South America's Mercosur bloc. While Germany strongly favours it, France has expressed fears it will badly impact its farming sector. French sources said a way forward is emerging, and that an additional protocol could add a "robust safeguard clause for agriculture". Merz will welcome Macron at 6:30 pm (1630 GMT) at Villa Borsig, the former residence of the commander of the post-war French occupation troops on the outskirts of Berlin. The programme includes press statements, without journalists' questions, a jazz performance and a working dinner.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ukraine Marks First Loss Of Mirage 2000 Fighter
A Ukrainian Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter has crashed, the first loss of one of the jets that were donated by France. 'On the evening of July 22, 2025, while performing a flight mission on a Mirage-2000 fighter jet, an aircraft equipment failure occurred, which the pilot reported to the flight manager,' the Ukrainian Air Force reported. 'He then acted competently, as is expected in crisis situations, and successfully ejected. The search and rescue team found the pilot, his condition is stable. There were no casualties on the ground. A special commission has been appointed to establish the causes of the aviation incident.' The Ukrainian Air Force received its first Mirage back in February. Before delivering the jets, France performed unspecified modifications to allow them to fly air-to-ground missions. You can read more about that here. This is the latest loss of a donated fourth-generation fighter. Ukraine has also seen at least three of its donated F-16s destroyed. This is a developing story. Stay with The War Zone for updates. Contact the author: howard@ Solve the daily Crossword
Mint
11 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Dassault Reiterates Goal to Lead Franco-German Warplane Project
(Bloomberg) -- France's Dassault Aviation SA reiterated it wants to lead the Franco-German next-generation Future Combat Air System fighter jet, giving it sweeping oversight over the project that's caused friction with partner Airbus SE. Chief Executive Officer Eric Trappier said his company would like to pilot the program with the ability to choose subcontractors and drop any of those that don't perform. Trappier, speaking in a press conference in Paris on Tuesday, denied reports that Dassault was seeking an 80% share in the FCAS project. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will seek to quell growing friction over the fighter jet program when they meet for high-profile consultations in Berlin on Wednesday. Dassault is jointly developing the FCAS warplane with Airbus SE and Spain's Indra Sistemas SA. Berlin has opposed attempts by Dassault to take a larger share of the project, and Germany's aviation lobby, BDLI, said it risks dooming the joint European fighter jet plan. In stark contrast, British defense company BAE Systems Plc is speeding ahead with the development of its next-generation Tempest fighter jet, with test aircraft on track to fly within three years. The program includes Italy's Leonardo SpA, Japanese partners, Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc and missile company MBDA. Also, Sweden's Saab AB program to build the Gripen D fighter jet is gaining momentum after struggling to win sales from other countries. Earlier this year, Trappier said he backed a leading role on FCAS, pointing to Dassault's experience when it pulled from a venture project in the 1980s and went solo to build the Rafale fighter jet. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has heightened Europe's focus on territorial security, while President Donald Trump has prodded NATO allies to boost military spending, even as he raises doubts about the US commitment to the region's defense. As European governments supersize defense budgets, some are considering alternatives to American-made weapons such as Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35. The US, China and Russia are also developing sixth-generation aircraft, which are likely to include enhanced stealth, sensor and autonomous capabilities as well as the improved ability to coordinate with other aircraft and drones. More stories like this are available on
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dassault Aviation H1 earnings rise on Rafale exports
-- Dassault Aviation reported a 12% rise in first-half adjusted sales to 2.85 billion euros, boosted by stronger Rafale export deliveries, though net income slipped due to a French tax surcharge. The French aerospace group delivered seven Rafale fighter jets, including four for export, and 12 Falcon business jets in the period. Order intake surged to 8.1 billion euros from 5.1 billion a year earlier, driven by India's purchase of 26 Rafale Marine jets, the first export contract for the naval variant. Adjusted operating income rose 6% to 180 million euros, though the margin dipped to 6.3% from 6.7%. Adjusted net income fell to 386 million euros from 442 million, weighed by a 67 million euro tax charge. The company's backlog climbed to a record 48.3 billion euros, covering 239 Rafales and 75 Falcons. Dassault reiterated its full-year target for sales to grow to around 6.5 billion euros, assuming 25 Rafale and 40 Falcon deliveries. It warned, however, that U.S.-EU tariff talks could affect its Falcon business. Available cash rose to 9.5 billion euros from 8.4 billion at year-end. Related articles Dassault Aviation H1 earnings rise on Rafale exports These Under-the-Radar Stocks Offer Better Risk-Reward Ratio Than Nvidia If Powell goes, does Fed trust go with him? Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
