Dassault to develop Rafale F5 alone, targets exports from 2035

Dassault Aviation's chairman and chief executive, Eric Trappier, said the company is developing the Rafale F5 standard on its own, without a foreign co-development partner. Speaking to a French broadcaster, he described the F5 as a request from the French armed forces. The goal, he said, is to have it ready by 2033 or 2035.

Trappier said the aircraft could be offered for export starting in 2035, once the new standard has matured further. France has reportedly been funding the F5 program alone since talks with the United Arab Emirates over co-financing broke down in December 2025. That dispute is said to have centered on technology transfer terms. The UAE had reportedly been willing to contribute close to €3.5 billion.

The F5 gained importance as France's leading combat aircraft effort after France and Germany discontinued the crewed fighter portion of the Future Combat Air System program in mid-2026, following disagreements between Dassault and Airbus over how work would be divided. In the interview, Trappier again argued for a single national prime contractor model in fighter development, questioning the need for joint corporate structures when one manufacturer can build the aircraft alone. He said cooperation with other countries remains possible in other forms.

The F5 standard is described as a substantial overhaul rather than a minor update. It involves a new engine, radar, electronic warfare systems and nuclear weapon, plus pairing with an uncrewed companion aircraft. Safran has separately been developing a new engine, the M88 T-REX, intended to provide significantly more thrust than the current Rafale powerplant.