Rafale, Barracuda, Caesar… Record French arms gross sales in 2024 | EUROtoday
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” EExporting our weapons is vital for our trade balance and for creating jobs throughout France. » In his wishes to the Armed Forces on January 7, 2025, Sébastien Lecornu notably recalled the need for the defense industrial and technological base (BITD) to be competitive in exports “in terms of deadlines and prices” while “the world is rearming.”
In the Cour des Invalides, the Minister of the Armed Forces welcomed the year 2024, the second best for arms exports, with 18 billion euros, behind 2022 and its record of 27 billion euros. France maintains its second place among arms exporting countries, behind the United States and ahead of Russia. Of the total orders, nearly 10 billion concern the Rafale and Barracuda submarines.
Rafale and submarines boost sales
In 2024, the aircraft manufacturer Dassault sold 30 Rafales for export, including 18 aircraft for Indonesia (last tranche of a contract for 42 Rafales signed in February 2022) and 12 for the controversial Serbia, the latest customer with a contract worth 2.6 billion euros.
On the naval side, Naval Group, after the Australian snub of 2021, is doing well with a contract for four Barracuda submarines for the Dutch navy at an estimated cost of 5.6 billion euros.
Finally, the Caesar cannon from KNDS, whose firing precision and mobility are recognized by Ukraine (154 pieces delivered and ordered in total), is also gaining market share. Armenia (36), Estonia (12), Croatia (12), Portugal (36)… The order book is full for the manufacturer, which plans to manufacture 12 Caesars per month in 2025.
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For Sébastien Lecornu, 2025 is already shaping as much as be “an excellent year”, beginning with the sale of 14 Caracal helicopters to Iraq, finalized final September. “But we must not be satisfied with these results,” believes the Minister of the Armed Forces, who has excessive hopes with the protection and intervention frigates (FDI), two examples of which will likely be delivered this yr to the Greek navy.
In addition to the important Rafale and Caesar, different tools may discover a purchaser, such because the Ground Master radar or the SAMP-T anti-missile system from Thales. While Russia is more and more threatening Europe with using cruise or hypersonic missiles, cellular air protection batteries are as soon as once more the topic of explicit curiosity.
https://www.lepoint.fr/economie/rafale-barracuda-caesar-des-ventes-d-armes-francaises-record-en-2024–09-01-2025-2579609_28.php