The World - News from June 21, 1987
France has reached a final decision to develop and produce on its own a new warplane, the Rafale, to equip the French air force and navy by 1996 and for sale to other countries, Premier Jacques Chirac announced at the Paris Air Show. The decision on the $30-billion project, conceived by France’s ailing Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet Aviation, means that U.S. allies in Europe will be developing two competing warplanes. Britain, West Germany, Italy and Spain have agreed to develop jointly an advanced warplane called the Eurofighter. Chirac urged that the nations cooperate on electronic components for the two warplanes.
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