France's Dassault Aviation posted on Wednesday a 15.5 percent drop in net profit in 2009, a year marked by several cancelled orders but record deliveries for its Falcon business jet.

The company said in a statement that net profit fell to 315 million euros last year from 373 million euros in 2008.

Dassault delivered 14 Rafale fighter jets last year and a record 77 Falcon business jets, the company said.

But the company was hit by the cancellation of orders for 163 planes, including 65 Falcon jets.