Egypt to Become Biggest International Customer of Rafale Jets
- Our Bureau
- 10:02 AM, May 4, 2021
Egypt will add 30 more
jets to its 24-strong Rafale fleet for reportedly for $4.5 billion, making it
the biggest buyer of the French aircraft, overtaking India and Qatar.
On May 4, the Egyptian
Defense Ministry said it signed an agreement with France for 30 Rafales. The
contract is financed through a financing loan of a minimum duration of 10
years. According to reports, the accord covers contracts for MBDA and Safran
valued additional $240 million.
“This new order is proof
of the unfailing bond that unites Egypt, the first foreign user of the Rafale,
as it was for the Mirage 2000, with Dassault Aviation for nearly 50 years. It
is also a tribute to the Rafale’s operational quality, as this is the second
time an export customer has chosen to order additional aircraft. Dassault
Aviation and its partners would like to thank the Egyptian authorities for this
new mark of trust and assure them of their total commitment to meeting their
expectations once again,” stated Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of
Dassault Aviation.
Cairo signed its first
Rafale deal for $5.9 billion in February 2015. This contract was for 24 (8
single-seat, 16 two-seat) Rafales, Meteor and Scalp missiles, as well as a
FREMM multipurpose frigate. The deal was financed up to 50% by a consortium of
French banks.
India purchased 36
off-the-shelf Rafales for nearly $8 billion in 2016. This contract included an
option for 18 more jets. Until now, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has inducted 15
Rafales and the remaining jets are scheduled to be delivered to the service by
the end of 2022.
Each of these IAF jets
that come with a price tag of around $200 million each have a combat range of
780-1650km without mid-air refueling. They come armed with weapons such as
300km-range Scalp air-to-ground cruise missiles, Meteor air-to-air missiles
with strike range of 120-150km, and Hammer air-to-ground precision-guided
munitions with strike range of 20-70km.
The Egyptian deal comes
just four months after Greece confirmed a $3.01 billion contract for 18
Rafales.
Qatar bought 24 Rafales
with an option to buy 12 more for $7 billion six years ago. The contract
included the provision of long-range cruise missiles and Meteor missiles as
well as the training of 36 Qatari pilots and 100 technicians by the French
military and several Qatari intelligence officers; thus, the price can be
viewed as $270 million for each aircraft. In late 2017, the option for 12 more
Rafales was exercised for $1.3 billion (or $110 million each) while adding an
additional option for 36 further fighters.
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