Issue 351: Meet the Falcons

Dassault Aviation sets its sights on Australia and Asia

Dassault Aviation is no stranger to Australia. The French manufacturer of the Mirage and Rafale fighter jets and the Falcon series of business jets has long had a significant presence in Australia.

The Dassault name is most closely associated in Australia with the 116 Mirage III fighters operated by the Royal Australian Air Force as its primary front-line fighter between 1963 and 1989. But its Falcon business jet line has a long history in Australia as well, with the RAAF operating three Mystere 20s between 1967 and 1989 and then five Falcon 900s between 1989 and 2002, both types used for VIP transport.