While the FCAS or SCAF fighter program is stuck in a bitter fight over control, Dassault has rolled out the Falcon 10X in Mérignac near Bordeaux and pushed the project into its next phase. The jet is priced around $80 million, offers 7,500 nautical miles of range, and targets the most demanding long-haul customers in business aviation.
The timing is the story. Germany’s IG Metall union says it no longer trusts Dassault, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz has even questioned whether Germany still needs a manned fighter in 20 years.
Against that backdrop, the 10X looks like Dassault showing, not telling, what a clean-sheet program still looks like.
Falcon 10X cabin size, range, and performance
The aircraft itself is hard to ignore. Dassault says the Falcon 10X has the widest and tallest cabin in any purpose-built business jet at 109 inches wide and 80 inches high, with a 53.12-foot cabin length, 38 oversized windows, and a 3,000-foot cabin altitude while flying at 41,000 feet.
In practical terms, that means the cabin is designed to feel less punishing on ultra-long trips. The jet also cruises up to Mach 0.925, can climb to 51,000 feet, and is designed for takeoffs under 6,000 feet and landings under 2,500 feet.
Then there is the cockpit. The new NeXus flight deck brings large touch screens, a dual FalconEye system for low visibility, and a Smart Throttle inspired by the Rafale fighter that manages both engines through a single control.
Dassault also says the aircraft will be the first large business jet with an automatic recovery mode, another sign that this program borrows heavily from the company’s military DNA. That is more than marketing.
In its 2025 results, Dassault said research and development spending reached €389 million (about $424 million, particularly for the Falcon 10X, and that 2026 will mark the start of the flight test campaign even though some supply chain issues remain.
Falcon 10X vs Gulfstream G800 and Bombardier rivals
Does the 10X beat every rival on paper? No. Gulfstream’s G800 advertises 8,200 nautical miles of range, more than the Falcon 10X’s 7,500, and Reuters notes Dassault is also taking aim at Bombardier and Gulfstream at the very top of the market.
So Dassault’s bet is a little different, for the most part. It is selling a broader package that blends cabin size, runway flexibility, and fighter-derived systems into one aircraft.
In a week when France and Germany are still trying to stop FCAS from sliding deeper into crisis, that contrast feels especially sharp. The Falcon 10X is a luxury jet, yes, but it is also a very public reminder that Dassault still wants to be the industrial architect, not just a partner at the table.
The press release was published on Dassault Aviation.
