Dassault Aviation

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Dassault Aviation
Type Public (EuronextAM)
Dassault Group & EADS
Industry Aerospace, Defense
Founded 1929
Founders Marcel Dassault
(born Marcel Bloch)
Headquarters Paris, France
Key people Éric Trappier
(chairman and CEO)
Charles Edelstenne
(General manager of Dassault Group)
Serge Dassault
(honorary chairman)
Products Civil aircraft
Military aircraft
Space activities
Revenue 4.593 billion (2013)
Net income €487.000 million (2013)
Employees 11,600 (2013)
Parent Dassault Group
Website www.dassault-aviation.com
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet of the UK defence technology organisation QinetiQ

Dassault Aviation (French pronunciation: ​[daso]) is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional, and business jets, a subsidiary of Dassault Group.

It was founded in 1929 by Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch or "MB". After World War II, Marcel Bloch changed his name to Marcel Dassault, and the name of the company was changed to Avions Marcel Dassault on 20 January 1947. In 1971 Dassault acquired Breguet, forming Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet Aviation (AMD-BA). In 1990 the company was renamed Dassault Aviation.


The Société des Avions Marcel Bloch was founded by Marcel Bloch in 1929. In 1935 Bloch and Henry Potez entered into an agreement to buy Société Aérienne Bordelaise (SAB), subsequently renamed Société Aéronautique du Sud-Ouest. In 1936 the arms industry in France was nationalised as the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Ouest (SNCASO). Marcel Bloch was asked to act as delegated administrator of the Minister for Air.[1] During the occupation of France the country's aviation industry was virtually disbanded.[2] 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.

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.

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 helicopters.[3] (Nord Aviation and Sud Aviation would merge in 1970 to form Aérospatiale which would itself later merge with 2 other firms and become EADS (now Airbus Group)) .

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.[4]

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. On 10 July 2000, Aérospatiale-Matra merged with other European companies to form EADS (renamed Airbus Group in 2014).

In 2000 Serge Dassault resigned as chairman and was succeeded by Charles Edelstenne. Serge Dassault was appointed honorary chairman.

Airbus sold some of its ownership back to Dassault in 2014.[5]



Sogitec, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault, makes advanced avionics simulation, 3D imaging, military flight simulators, and document imaging systems.



The Dassault Rafale ordered in 1988 and now in service with the French Navy and French Air Force.
Full-scale model of the stealth combat drone Dassault nEUROn, the "European UCAV technology demonstrator" at the Paris Air Show 2005.


Dassault Falcon (Mystère) 20F-5


  1. ^ "History of Groupe Dassault Aviation S". Retrieved 1 October 2012. 
  2. ^ Dassault Aviation History, 1916 to this day: During the War. Accessed 5 January 2006.
  3. ^ Dassault Aviation History, 1916 to this day: The company's successive reorganizations. Accessed 5 January 2006.
  4. ^ "History of Dassault Systems". Retrieved 1 October 2012. 
  5. ^ Trautvetter, Chad. "Airbus Begins Selling Off Stake in Dassault Aviation" AINonline, 2 December 2014.
  6. ^ Dassault Aviation 2010 Annual Report.

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