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October 5, 2020 | International, Aerospace

La France pourrait commander des Rafale en urgence

JÉRÉMY JOLY

Le ministère des Armées pourrait passer une commande "à court terme" et de façon "simultanée" à celle de la Grèce.

L'heure tourne pour l'armée de l'air française. Selon les informations de La Tribune, l'Hôtel de Brienne pourrait passer très rapidement une commande pour des avions Rafale à l'avionneur Dassault. Une commande en urgence liée aux besoins opérationnels directs des militaires français. En effet, les calculs actuels font apparaître un déficit de 18 avions d'ici à l'horizon 2022. Une situation qui pourrait mener à une accélération de la cadence de production chez Dassault Aviation.

Mi-août, on a appris que la Grèce faisait l'acquisition de 18 avions de combat français Rafale. Six d'entre eux seront neufs, les autres seront des modèles d'occasion. Or, ceux-ci seront pris directement dans la flotte de l'armée de l'air et sur les chaînes de production. Autant d'avions qui manqueront donc aux forces opérationnelles. La Grèce souhaite en effet les premiers appareils dès la mi-2021 et les derniers débuts 2022. Or, il faut 36 mois pour fabriquer un Rafale.

Vers une hausse des cadences de production ?

Selon La Tribune, les aviateurs français feraient donc face à un déficit de 18 appareils à la fin de l'année 2022. Dans le même temps, 55 Mirage 2000D sont en rénovation. Les derniers Rafale ont été livrés en 2018 à la France. Un sentiment d'urgence qui pourrait donc pousser la France à passer commande de façon simultanée avec la Grèce. "Dassault Aviation devra augmenter ses cadences de production", insiste une source au sein de l'armée de l'air. Une situation à même de s'aggraver si la Croatie décide d'investir dans des Rafale d'occasion.

>> A lire aussi - Florence Parly cherche à rassurer sur les prélèvements de Rafale pour la Grèce

Le carnet de commandes de Dassault Aviation affiche déjà 96 commandes jusqu'en 2022, entre l'Inde et le Qatar. En France, l'objectif à l'horizon 2030 est de compter sur une flotte de 225 Rafale (185 pour l'armée de l'air et 40 pour la marine). Dans le même temps, comme le souligne l'Usine Nouvelle, Dassault Aviation espère inciter la Finlande ou encore la Suisse à passer aussi des commandes. Un impératif alors que selon les projections actuelles les chaînes de production ne seront pas remplies après 2024.

https://www.capital.fr/entreprises-marches/la-france-pourrait-commander-des-rafale-en-urgence-1382074

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