France's Dassault says 2015 order book bulged on Rafales contracts

French group Dassault Aviation said Thursday that orders more than doubled last year due to export contracts for its Rafale fighter jets.

Net profit also increased by just over a fifth to 482 million euros ($528 million) despite a slowdown in emerging countries hitting its order book for its Falcon business jets, the company said in a statement.

Dassault Aviation said it took orders to the tune of 9.88 billion euros in 2015 compared to 4.65 billion the previous year, with 96 percent of them for export.

Sales also grew by 13.5 percent to 4.17 billion euros compared to 2014, it added.

Dassault group expects to deliver about 60 Falcon and nine Rafale jets in 2016.

It won its first two export contracts for its fighter jets this year, with Egypt and Qatar each placing orders for 24 aircraft.

India also said last year it planned to order 36 Rafale jets but the contract has not yet been finalised. "Price negotiations are in progress," the statement said.

Orders for its business jets fell by a half in 2015, to 45 Falcons compared to the year earlier.

Last year was "marked by a sharp slowdown in economies of emerging countries such as China, Brazil and Russia, the drop in oil prices and the recovery of the dollar against the euro," the statement said.