The French fighter’s order book now stands at 533 aircraft.

Dassault Aviation has marked a major milestone in its flagship combat aircraft programme, announcing the delivery of the 300th Rafale fighter. The handover was completed on 7 October 2025, a few days before the company made the achievement public.

The Rafale continues to attract steady demand at home and abroad. Dassault holds 533 firm orders for the type from France and eight export customers: Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Serbia. Of those, 233 aircraft remain to be delivered, underscoring the depth of the current backlog.

To meet this pipeline, the manufacturer plans to increase output to four aircraft a month. The programme, overseen by France’s defence procurement agency, the Direction générale de l’Armement (DGA), underpins a wide industrial network, supporting around 400 French companies. Paris regards the Rafale as a pillar of its industrial base and defence autonomy, combining sovereign design, production and sustainment within the country.

The type’s operational footprint has steadily expanded over two decades. The French Navy was the first to deploy the Rafale in 2004, followed by the French Air Force in 2006. Export deliveries began in 2015 with Egypt, opening a period of accelerating international sales that has since brought in customers across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

With a rising monthly production target and a broadening user community, the latest milestone signals continued momentum for the Rafale programme. It also highlights the balance Dassault must strike between fulfilling French requirements and servicing a growing roster of overseas operators amid sustained demand for modern multi-role combat aircraft.