Dassault Plans New French Fighter Jet, the "Super Rafale," by Mid-2030s

The French aerospace company Dassault has said that its planned successor to the Rafale fighter jet, informally referred to as the "Super Rafale," could be ready sometime between 2033 and 2035, with 2034 mentioned as a likely target.

The Rafale is Dassault's current front-line combat aircraft, used by the French military and exported to several other countries. The new jet is expected to be a more advanced evolution of this design, though Dassault has not yet released detailed specifications.

The announcement was made by Éric Trappier, president of the Dassault group, during remarks at REF 2026, a major French event dedicated to defence and national security issues.

Speaking at the gathering, Trappier stated that French industrial firms are "totally committed" to standing behind the country's armed forces, underlining close cooperation between the private sector and the military.

Such statements are typically intended to reassure officials and the public that domestic industry can meet future defence needs without excessive reliance on foreign suppliers.

The roughly decade-long timeline reflects the long development cycles typical of modern military aircraft, which require years of design, testing and certification before entering service.

While Dassault's comments confirm that work on a new-generation jet is underway, the company has not disclosed further technical, financial or programme details at this stage.

The announcement comes amid broader European discussions about future combat aircraft programmes, though the summary provided offers no further comparison with other projects.

Observers will likely look for more concrete details on funding, design partners and capabilities as the programme moves forward in the coming years.