The defense ministries of and Egypt reached an agreement for the acquisition of another 30 Dassault Rafale fighters. While neither party has provided financial details about the acquisition, the deal is valued at around $4,8 billion.
The fighters must be delivered from 2024. According to the French investigative website Disclose, the agreement was closed on April 26 and should remain secret at the request of the president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Another two contracts worth a combined US$240 million were signed with Safran Electronics and MBDA.
Egypt already has a fleet of 24 Rafales, acquired in 2015, in a US$5.9 billion deal that marked the first export of the French fighter, which also serves India and Qatar.
“This new order is proof of the unfailing bond that unites Egypt, the first foreign of the Rafale, as it was for the Mirage 2000, with Dassault Aviation for nearly 50 years. It is also a tribute to the operational quality of the Rafale”, said Eric Trapier, CEO of Dassault Aviation.
The agreement comes shortly after the news that Greece is considering the acquisition of six more Rafales. In January, the country signed the purchase of 18 fighter jets, with six new factory units out of 12 coming from the French Air Force itself, which has already ordered more aircraft with Dassault to fill the gap.
Florence Parly, 's Minister for the Armed Forces, said in a statement that the new deal “reinforces the strategic and military partnership between and Egypt”. She added that "This contract illustrates the strategic nature of the partnership that maintains with Egypt, as our two countries are firmly committed to the fight against terrorism and are working towards stability in their regional environment."
With Reuters, Defense News
