2023 Annual Report

Dynamic Shaping the future

Gearing up for the future

Our ongoing efforts to enhance both our manufacturing processes and our production ecosystem are key to achieving the high levels of quality and competitiveness demanded by the global market. Our manufacturing system is focused on the adjustment of our supply chain and the expansion of our operations in India.

Made in India

The 2016 contract for 36 Rafales has strengthened our 70-year relationship with India thanks to an increased sharing of workloads and technologies, resulting in sustained benefits in terms of competitiveness. Since 2020, our Nagpur plant, located in the state of Maharashtra, has been producing Falcon 2000 front fuselage sections. The ramp-up in production has resulted in the addition of a second 135,000-sq.-foot production facility.

Growth of the Indian supply chain

Dassault Aviation is helping to develop the Indian supply chain, by expanding its network of local partners. We have qualified major new Indian subcontractors, most notably Dynamatic (for the manufacture of the Falcon 6X T5 section fuel tank and the supply of primary parts) and Aerolloy, a subsidiary of the PTC Group (for development of a titanium foundry).

Adjusting our ecosystem

Supplier failures combined with a lack of industrial capacity, mainly with regard to aerostructures, have resulted in delays to production launches and missed manufacturing deadlines. To remedy this situation, we have made adjustments to existing organizational arrangements and put in place a centralized management system to implement corrective action plans, provide the necessary support to some of our subcontractors and expand our operations in India.

Our SAP production management system, used across all our plants, has improved our industrial performance and our responsiveness with regard to our supply chain.

Investment in our industrial infrastructure

We are pursuing investment in our industrial infrastructure, specifically in preparation for the introduction of the Falcon 10X: a building to house the 10X simulator, in Istres; a building devoted to wing box systems, in Martignas; and refitting of the buildings where final assembly and special projects will take place, in Mérignac. We are also continuing construction work on our new Cergy plant, which is slated for completion in 2024.