Thanks to the specialized character of our plants, our international footprint - particularly in India - and our digital innovations, our manufacturing systems evolve to meet the exacting standards of quality and competitiveness demanded by the global market.
We are continuing the process of further integrating and specializing our production system in a series of strategic areas: metal products, composites, flat products, etc. This quest for synergy has led to the construction of a new plant in Cergy as well as specialized facilities: a collaborative office building in Mérignac, wing assembly in Martignas and composite wing parts in Biarritz.
The changes we are making to our facilities are helping to foster a more collaborative approach. Our design teams work even more closely with our customers and take a holistic view of the entire aircraft lifecycle. For instance, the design office integrates production and recycling requirements at a very early stage, in accordance with Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) standards.
An SAP single production management system is now up and running across all our plants. It will improve our industrial performance and our responsiveness with respect to our supply chain.
As we increasingly move towards the Connected Factory 4.0 model, our workers are using augmented reality tools - for example, to facilitate and check the proper positioning of components within the aircraft.
We are at the center of an industrial network that has gradually developed over the decades, one that shares knowledge and methods, along with proven design and production tools. Aéroprint bears witness to these relationships: this agreement to support the development of additive manufacturing involves the creation of a collaborative platform in Argonay.
The 2016 contract for 36 Rafales has strengthened our 65‑year relationship with India thanks to an increased sharing of workloads and technologies, which is designed to enhance our competitiveness over the long term. Since 2020, our Nagpur plant, located in the state of Maharashtra, has been delivering Falcon 2000 front cockpit sections that are fully compliant with our quality standards. The ramp‑up in production has resulted in the construction of a second 12,500‑m² production facility. In the midst of the Covid‑19 epidemic, Indian teams maintained production in compliance with health measures, demonstrating their growing autonomy.
The growth of our business has resulted in a number of partnerships with local companies. Our supply chain is expanding to include new suppliers. Ranging from large industrial operators to SMEs, the French aeronautical ecosystem involved in the Rafale program includes 25 production facilities and 20 joint ventures in India. Activities include design, production and support.
Adapting to sustain quality & competitiveness
