Dassault Aviation reports first-half sales and profit jump

By Florence Loeve

PARIS, July 22 (Reuters) - French planemaker Dassault Aviation on Wednesday reported higher first-half earnings and kept targets unchanged as global military spending accelerates and the defence sector is pressed to fulfil record order backlogs. 

The maker of Rafale warplanes and Falcon business jets reported first-half adjusted operating income up 83% year on year at €330 million ($376.5 million) on net sales that rose 46% to €4.16 billion.

The company generated new orders worth €2.88 billion, down from €8.08 billion a year earlier.

Dassault delivered 13 Falcon business jets in the first half of the year, up from 12 in the same period of 2025, and took orders for 23 jets, up from 8 at the midway point last year.

It delivered 12 Rafale aircraft, up from 7 in 2025, and took no orders for fighter jets, having taken 26 in 2025 when new orders were boosted by a contract with India's Navy. 

Dassault Aviation is still negotiating the sale of 114 Rafales to India's Air Force. The deal would be the planemaker's largest defence export contract if concluded.

India issued a formal letter of request to France in June for the purchase of the 114 aircraft, with some of the jets to be built in India.

That contract remains the company’s "major strategic objective", CEO Eric Trappier said in a statement.

($1 = 0.8766 euros)

(Reporting by Florence LoèveEditing by David Goodman)