Dassault Aviation The Dassault Aviation Group ( ) is a French aircraft manufacturer of military and business jets , subsidiary of Dassault Group . It was founded in 1929 by Marcel Dassault and is the only aviation group in the world still owned by the founder ' s family and bearing his name . It is a multinational company employing almost 11 , 600 people , including 9 , 000 in France , with a commercial presence in over 83 countries in 2012 . Its activities are centered on the following areas : In its main activity exporting business jets , Dassault Aviation held 29 % of market share in 2012 , with 66 Falcon delivered in 2012 . The American Gulfstream Aerospace ( subsidiary of General Dynamics ) and the Canadian company Bombardier are its main competitors in this segment . The Dassault Aviation Group is headed by Eric Trappier since 9 January 2013 . History . Since the beginnings of aviation at the start of the 20th century , Dassault Aviation has become renowned in the aeronautics industry for the design , manufacture and mass production of all types of aircraft . From the Eclair propeller in 1916 to the Falcon 2000LXS in 2013 , over a hundred prototypes have marked the path to progress in the high - tech aeronautics field . 1918 – 1945 : The origins of Dassault Aviation . As far back as World War I , Marcel Bloch , who changed his name to Marcel Dassault in 1949 , assembled a team and set up SEA ( Société d ' Études Aéronautiques ) in 1918 . This company designed and manufactured a two - seat fighter called SEA IV , a thousand of which were ordered by the French Armed Forces . Following an interlude during the 1920s , a new team was formed in 1930 , who successively produced a whole series of aircraft from the MB - 60 all - metal trimotor mail aircraft to the MB - 160 four - engine transport aircraft , the MB - 152 one - seat fighter and the MB - 210 heavy bomber . In 1935 , the company , which was ahead of the rest of the industry in terms of social welfare , work organization and wage scale , granted its workers a week ' s paid vacation . Following the nationalization of aviation companies in 1936 ( see Popular Front ( France ) ) , the factories of Société des avions Marcel Bloch , set up in 1929 , became part of SNCASO ( Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Ouest ) . On 12 December 1936 Marcel Bloch , who had free use of his design office , set up SAAMB ( Société anonyme des avions Marcel Bloch ) by consolidating his resources , with the aim of designing and producing prototypes that would be manufactured by nationalized companies . However , his independence was not to last and on 17 February 1937 , the Air Ministry merged the design office with SNCASO . Since Marcel Bloch could no longer manufacture aircraft , he then went into manufacturing engines and later propellers and had a plant built in Saint - Cloud , France , in 1938 . During the German occupation of France the country ' s aviation industry was virtually disbanded . Marcel Bloch was imprisoned by the Vichy government in October 1940 . In 1944 Bloch was deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp by the German occupiers where he remained until it was liberated on 11 April 1945 . 1945 – 86 : industrial development . On 10 November 1945 at an extraordinary general meeting of the " Société Anonyme des Avions Marcel Bloch " the company voted to change its form to a limited liability entity , " Société des Avions Marcel Bloch " , which was to be a holding company . On 20 January 1947 " Société des Avions Marcel Bloch " became " Société des Avions Marcel Dassault " to reflect the name adopted by its owner . In 1954 Dassault established an electronics division ( by 1962 named " Electronique Marcel Dassault " ) , the first action of which was to begin development of airborne radars , soon followed by seeker heads for air - to - air missiles , navigation , and bombing aids . From the 1950s to late 1970s exports become a major part of Dassault ' s business , major successes were the Dassault Mirage series and the Mystere - Falcon . The average rate in the period 1952 – 1977 was 58 % . In 1965 and 1966 the French government stressed to its various defense suppliers the need to specialize to maintain viable companies . Dassault was to specialise in combat and business aircraft , Nord Aviation in ballistic missiles and Sud Aviation civil and military transport aircraft and helicopter s . ( Nord Aviation and Sud Aviation would merge in 1970 to form Aérospatiale ) . On 27 June 1967 Dassault ( at the urging of the French government ) acquired 66 % of Breguet Aviation . Under the merger deal Société des Avions Marcel Dassault was dissolved on 14 December 1971 , with its assets vested in Breguet , to be renamed Avions Marcel Dassault - Breguet Aviation ( AMD - BA ) . Dassault Systèmes was established in 1981 to develop and market Dassault ' s CAD program , CATIA . Dassault Systèmes was to become a market leader in this field . In 1979 the French government took a 20 % share in Dassault and established the Societé de Gestion de Participations Aéronautiques ( SOGEPA ) to manage this and an indirect 25 % share in Aerospatiale ( the government also held a direct 75 % share in that company ) . In 1998 the French government transferred its shares in Dassault Aviation ( 45 . 76 % ) to Aerospatiale . 1986 – 2000 : industrial rationalization . Marcel Dassault died on 17 April 1986 and Serge Dassault became chief executive officer of AMD - BA on 29 October . Faced with the decline in the worldwide aviation market , in both the military and civil sectors , it seemed that the production capacity of the company was much too high and therefore needed to be reduced quickly . Therefore , between 1987 and 1992 , manufacturing staff were reduced from 6 200 to 3 000 and then to 2 400 at the end of the year 2000 , that is a 60 % reduction . From 1986 to 1996 , staff numbers decreased from 16 000 to 9 000 . Preparation for the 21st century called for industrial rationalization as well as adaptation of the civil and military activities . On 6 October 1987 , at the central works council , Serge Dassault announced an industrial recovery plan that projected a 5 % productivity gain yearly over 5 years with the closure of four sites : Sanguinet , Villaroche , Boulogne and Istres plant . In 1988 , the new headquarters was set up at 9 , rond - point des Champs - Élysées and GMA ( Générale de Mécanique Aéronautique ) became part of AMD - BA with the merger of the design offices for prototypes and series . In March 1989 , the Toulouse - Colomiers site was closed . On 4 December 1989 , Benno - Claude Vallières , Honorary chief executive officer of AMD - BA , died . On 19 June 1990 , AMD - BA became Dassault Aviation . In 1991 , Rafale C01 , Rafale M01 and Mirage 2000 - 5 took their maiden flights . The following year , the prototype construction workshop was transferred from Saint - Cloud to Argenteuil and the workshops for manufacturing flight controls were transferred to Argonay . On 17 September 1992 a cooperation agreement was entered into with Aérospatiale and on 23 December , a press release from the Minister of Defense and the Minister of the Economy and Finance announced structural cooperation between Aérospatiale and Dassault Aviation and the augmentation of their capital in SOGEPA ( Société de gestion et de participations aéronautiques ) , a holding company for part of the State ’ s share in the two groups . The maiden flights of the Rafale B01 and the Falcon 2000 took place in 1993 . The year 1995 saw the Falcon 900EX make its first flight and Falcon Jet Corporation become Dassault Falcon Jet . On 16 October 1998 , the new Dassault Falcon Jet facility was inaugurated in Little Rock . In 1999 , for the first time in the history of the company , civil aircraft accounted for more than military aircraft in the company ’ s sales ( 68 % compared to 32 % ) . Since 2000 : industrial revolution . On 4 April 2000 , Serge Dassault resigned as chairman and was succeeded by Charles Edelstenne as chief executive officer . Serge Dassault was appointed honorary chairman . On 10 July 2000 , Aérospatiale - Matra merged with other European companies to form EADS . The American company Atlantic Aviation based in Wilmington , Delaware , was acquired in October 2000 . On 18 December 2000 , Dassault Aviation was the first French company to be certified ISO 9001 / 2000 by BVQI . Within fifteen years or so , thanks to developments in I . T . , the industrial design offices went from using drawing boards to computerized 3D - modelling . Physical models were replaced by virtual digital mock - ups enabling a first version to be produced that is directly operational . This veritable industrial revolution was made possible thanks to PLM software ( Product Lifecycle Management ) from Dassault Systemes . " Virtual plateau " technology , allowing all the design offices to work together simultaneously within short deadlines , was deployed for the Falcon 7X trijet program . In this way , for the first time , the primary parts and physical assembly of the first Falcon 7X were produced and carried out at Bordeaux - Mérignac without the slightest adjustment or correction . Aviation Group Activities . Aerospace and defense systems . Sogitec Industries , a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault , makes advanced avionics simulation , 3D imaging , military flight simulator s , and document imaging systems centered around the following technologies : Sogitec Industries is located in France in Suresnes , Mérignac and Bruz , and employs 450 staff members . Sogitec , founded in 1964 , is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation since 1984 . In 2011 , Sogitec generated revenue of €79M and devoted 10 % of this sum to research and development . Its main customers are French and foreign armies , Délégation Générale pour l ' Armement ( DGA ) , Dassault Aviation , Eurocopter , Lockheed Martin , Thales , BAE Systems and CAE Inc . . Economic data . Shareholders . At 21 March 2012 : Group structure . The Dassault Aviation Group is an international group that encompasses most of the aviation activities of the Dassault Group . Financing of programs . Dassault self - financed and leveraged private funding for the development of : These self - financed development initiatives allowed significant programs to be undertaken , however some did not get to experience the recognition of mass production ( titles in italics below indicate abandoned programs ) . Dassault Aviation Group Management . Board of Directors . In 2012 , the board of directors was composed of : Attendance fees are 22 000 euro / year per director with a double attendance fee for the chairman . Dassault and the United States . From Marcel Dassault ’ s first look at a Wright airplane in 1909 , which “ brought aviation into my life , into my heart , ” to today ' s Falcon business jets that are completed at Little Rock , Arkansas , Dassault Aviation has enjoyed a close , continuous relationship with the United States . These bonds have changed over time , reflecting the political and economic relations between the two countries . A passion is born . Marcel Bloch , the founder of Dassault Aviation , was able to trace his passion for aviation to a very specific date , namely 18 October 1909 . On that day , a Wright airplane piloted by the Comte de Lambert made the first flight over Paris , and even circled the Eiffel Tower . His life was changed forever . From that moment on , Marcel Bloch had a single burning ambition : to build airplanes . The First World War gave him the opportunity to put his talents as a newly minted aeronautical engineer to the test . In 1916 he designed a new propeller , the “ Éclair ” ( “ lightning ” ) , that would be used on Spad XIII fighters , especially those flown by the famous Lafayette Escadrille , a squadron manned by American volunteers , as well as by the country ' s leading WWI ace , Eddie Rickenbacker . Conditions in France changed after the war , and Marcel Bloch left the aviation business for nearly a dozen years . But as he says in his autobiography “ The Talisman ” : “ One day , or rather one evening , I was at Le Bourget airport , and I saw Lindbergh arrive in the Spirit of Saint Louis , after flying across the Atlantic . At that moment I understood that something had changed and that a real civil aviation industry was about to be born . Just as the Wright ' s airplane had awakened my interest in aviation , the Spirit of Saint Louis brought me back to it . ” Marcel Bloch founded a new company in 1929 , and within six years it had become the second leading airplane manufacturer in France . After the German invasion of France in World War II , he took refuge in Bordeaux . At the time , he thought about moving his family to the United States , where he knew that he would receive a warm welcome . But because of his patriotism he stayed in France . Returning from Buchenwald in 1945 , he changed his name to Marcel Dassault . The new name came from “ char d ’ assaut ” ( “ battle tank ” ) the nom de guerre of a brother who was a resistance fighter . He added the letter " L " to “ d ’ assaut ” in honor of an airplane wing , in French the " aile " ( pronounced “ L ” ) . At the age of 53 , he restarted his career as a major aircraft manufacturer , a career that would culminate in 1976 with the highest distinction for an aeronautical engineer , the Daniel Guggenheim Medal , awarded by Malcolm S . Harned , head of Cessna at the time . In 1959 Marcel Dassault moved his company ' s headquarters to the western Paris suburb of Vaucresson . He purchased a building that had initially been built for the Universal Exposition of 1937 – and which is a carbon copy of Mount Vernon , George Washington ' s estate in Virginia along the banks of the Potomac ! Military Aviation . Following the Second World War , France and the United States enjoyed a very close relationship on military matters , in particular via NATO . American test pilot Marion Davis was the first to break the sound barrier in France , in 1952 , flying a Dassault Mystère II . A number of American delegations came to visit Dassault ' s facilities , including prestigious visitors such as General Richard Boyd and Chuck Yeager . These contacts would lead to an order for 185 MD 450 Ouragan fighters in 1950 , then 225 Mystère IV fighters in 1953 , deployed by the French air force on behalf of NATO , and financed by an American aid program for Western Europe ( Mutual Defense Assistance Program ) . Marcel Dassault kept a close watch on American technical progress through the trade press . Engineers at Dassault began to get acquainted with their counterparts on the other side of the Atlantic . For instance , in 1955 they were in contact with Edward Heinemann of Douglas , creator of the Skyray and Skyhawk , concerning delta wing designs . Dassault ' s planes drew inspiration from various techniques developed in the U . S . , such as the swept wings of the Mystère ( F - 86 ) , the delta wing , wasp waist and air inlet cones on the Mirage III ( F - 102 and F - 104 ) , the variable geometry wing on the Mirage G ( F - 111 ) , and even the supercritical wing on the Falcon 50 ( an airfoil developed by NACA ) . Dassault ' s longest - standing relationship with a major American plane - maker is with Boeing . In the early 1960s , there was the Mirage III W project ( “ W ” for Wichita , the city in Kansas where Boeing had some of its plants ) and work on vertical takeoff models ; then the Mirage F 1 in the early 1970s , and from 1991 to 1995 the delivery of about 2 , 500 servocontrols for the rotors on CH - 47 Chinook helicopters . There was also a joint study of advanced fighter aircraft during the maturation phase of the JAST ( now the JSF ) from 1994 to 1996 , etc . The vertical takeoff and landing ( VTOL ) Mirage is an excellent example . Boeing wanted to enter the small fighter market by teaming up with the French manufacturer . On 23 December 1961 , the two companies signed technical collaboration and licensing agreements , especially for the vertical takeoff stabilization devices and Dassault control systems . Once these agreements were accepted by the two governments , the first objective was a joint proposal to NATO for a vertical takeoff fighter . In early 1963 , the U . S . air force considered the purchase of three Mirage III V planes , identical to the twin - seat Mirage III V 03 project , for testing . Boeing was to reassemble the planes in the United States and set up test facilities . The U . S . Air Force planned to acquire two aircraft in May 1964 , but was unable to follow through on this plan . Despite this , there were very fruitful exchanges of engineers between Dassault and Boeing . As early as 16 March 1964 , Robert Schroers , specialist in Boeing 727 certification , worked on the American certification of the Mystère 20 , while Jacques Alberto contributed his expertise in VTOL aircraft to Boeing . Dassault also worked closely with two other American plane - makers on specific projects : LTV ( Ling - Temco - Vought ) on the Mirage G variable geometry aircraft ( 1968 – 69 ) and Lockheed on the Alpha Jet VTX trainer for the U . S . Navy ( 1978 ) . Marcel Dassault always took a keen interest in American jet engines , and in fact he would have liked to power his aircraft with these engines . Pratt & Whitney turbojets were fitted to Mirage III T , III V , F - 2 and G prototypes in the 1960s . But with France leaving NATO ' s integrated military organization and General de Gaulle fostering a policy of weapon independence , the national champion Snecma became the Mirage engine supplier . Dassault ' s success intrigued observers in the United States . In 1973 the U . S . Air Force ordered a study of Dassault by the Rand Corporation , a California based think tank . Rand said that Dassault “ was generally held to be one of the most efficient aircraft development and production firms in the western world . ” The study was designed to assess Dassault and identify certain qualities that could be adapted for use in the United States . In conclusion , the report stated : “ It seems feasible to adopt several of the basic Dassault policies in the development of aircraft in the United States , with potentially great advantages in cost and with long - term benefits for stability of the aircraft industry in the United States . Such adoption would undoubtedly cause major changes in the structures of the American aerospace complex , government and civil . " In the early 1990s , the carrier - borne Rafale M fighter was successfully tested in the United States , including evaluations of its advanced landing gear system , with catapult and deck landing tests on runways at Patuxent River and Lakehurst . For many years military aircraft were the core business at Dassault , and established the company ’ s global reputation . But today , the most successful area of collaboration between Dassault and the United States is undoubtedly business aviation . Business aviation . The business aviation market was still nascent in the early 1960s . Most major corporations still hesitated to deploy these aircraft , which had not yet proven their cost - effectiveness . The United States was by far the dominant market , and without a breakthrough in this market , no new aircraft had the slightest chance of turning a profit . Dassault ’ s Export department , headed by Serge Dassault , launched a marketing campaign that primarily targeted the United States , which harbored the most promising market . Building on relations established since their agreements on military aircraft in October 1961 , Dassault and Boeing sought to reach an accord on smaller civilian aircraft , with 4 – 6 , 21 or 40 seats . Dassault presented its plans for the Mystère 20 business twinjet to Boeing , but the discussions were ultimately unsuccessful , as Boeing finally decided not to invest in the business aviation segment . In October 1962 Serge Dassault traveled to the United States to take a closer look at the market potential for the Mystère 20 . He was convinced that the aircraft met the needs of the American market and insisted that the program be launched quickly . At about that time , Pan American World Airways was thinking of diversifying its business by creating a department for the distribution of business aircraft . Several members of corporate management , including Charles Lindbergh , came to Mérignac ( the main plant near Bordeaux ) to see the prototype before its maiden flight . They were immediately taken with this new aircraft , and started negotiations , culminating on 2 August 1963 , with a firm order for 40 of these aircraft , powered by General Electric CF 700 turbofan engines , along with options on 120 more . This exceptional contract launched the Mystère 20 bizjet on the international market , and also allowed Dassault to diversify its business away from its traditional exclusively military stance . The Fan Jet Falcon , as it was named in the United States , hit the American market in the summer of 1965 . It quickly acquired a solid reputation for comfort and safety under the Falcon 20 designation – the first model in a large family that now has 1 , 800 aircraft in service worldwide ( 2007 ) . However , nearly all Falcons in the United States were bought as single units , and they were operating thousands of kilometers away from the manufacturer , all of which complicated support services . In November 1972 Dassault created a French - American company in charge of sales and aftersales services . Based in Teterboro , New Jersey , this company was a joint venture between Dassault and Pan Am , in charge of Falcon business jet sales in North America . Falcon Jet Corporation was responsible for new plane sales and MRO services throughout the Americas , as well as in Asian countries on the Pacific rim ( Western hemisphere ) . In 1974 Falcon Jet Corp . acquired Little Rock Airmotive Company , an Arkansas company specialized in business aircraft cabin outfitting . Starting in April 1975 , the Falcons built in Dassault ' s facilities in Bordeaux - Mérignac , and sold to customers in the West , were flown to Little Rock for interiors , livery and instruments , before being delivered . This plant also handled maintenance , repair and overhaul ( MRO ) services for Falcon jets operating in this zone . The company grew rapidly , taking responsibility for the sale and support of nearly two - thirds of Falcon production . Dassault bought out Pan Am ' s share in 1980 , turning Falcon Jet Corporation into a wholly owned subsidiary . On 1 January 1995 , Falcon Jet Corporation became Dassault Falcon Jet , the American subsidiary of Dassault Aviation . Two major contracts would establish Dassault ' s presence in the United States once and for all . Dassault worked closely with its American customers before launching any of these special models . In 1969 Garrett Corporation launched a new , smaller jet engine , the TRE 731 , which matched the power needs of the Falcon 10 . On 31 December 1969 , a year before first flight of the new aircraft , Pan Am placed an order for 40 Falcon 10s , along with 120 options . Having added a smaller aircraft to its range , Dassault now designed a new business jet that was larger than the Falcon 20 . This new aircraft had to meet customer demand for a significant increase in range , allowing it to make non - stop flights across the United States , or across the North Atlantic . In 1973 , this gave rise to the Falcon 50 – the first aircraft in the Falcon family with transoceanic range . Prior to the Falcon 50 , no business jet offered transatlantic range plus compliance with public transport standards . However , in the early 1980s the American business jet market experienced a sharp downturn , with only the high - end segment proving resilient . Customers wanted widebody bizjets – so Dassault started design studies to meet this new demand , resulting in the Falcon 900 . Subsequently , Falcon Jet Corporation launched a market survey of its North American customers in 1987 and 1988 . The most important factors cited by customers were : the cabin ( height , width and length ) , then range , speed , operating cost and runway length . These studies resulted in the design of the Falcon 2000 , primarily intended for the premium “ coast to coast ” market in the United States . By 2012 business aviation was a core business at Dassault Aviation , accounting for 86 % of orders and 71 % of sales . The United States represents 39 % of the international Falcon market . And the Little Rock plant , with nearly 1 , 700 people , is one of the largest employers in the state of Arkansas .