The French air force took delivery of its first batch of the Frence-made Rafale fighter planes on June 27, with the manufacturer of the long-delayed jet, Dassault Aviation, still looking for the first foreign order for the aircraft.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin attended a ceremony at an army base in Saint Dizier, northeast France, where 20 models of the Rafale were delivered.

The Rafale, which is the successor to the Mirage jet, entered service in the French navy in 2004 and 10 models are based on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, The Charles de Gaulle.

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