As the French company Dassault Aviation reported on December 3, 2021, the United Arab Emirates signed a "historic" contract for the purchase of 80 French multifunctional fighters Dassault Rafale in the F4 modification. The contract was signed during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to the UAE, in the presence of Macron himself and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. On the French side, the contract was signed by Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, and Tarek Abdul Rahim Al Hosani, Director General of the Emirati state defense industrial holding Tavazun, who also plays the role of a special exporter and a special reporter of the UAE, with the Emirati side.
Fighter Dassault Rafale F4 (c) Dassault Aviation
The signed package of contracts also includes the purchase by the UAE of 12 multi-purpose Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal helicopters. The total cost of the package contract for Rafale aircraft and helicopters is reported to be about 17 billion euros, including 16 billion euros for Rafale fighters (including 2 billion euros of the cost of supplied aviation weapons). which makes it the largest in the history of French defense exports.
The delivery of Rafale F4 fighters to the UAE Air Force and Air Defense should be started under this contract, according to various reports, in 2026 or 2027. As part of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense, the new Rafale aircraft will reportedly replace 59 currently in service Dassault Mirage 2000-9 fighters. Thus, the UAE adheres to its long-standing traditional policy of manning its Air Force in parallel with two types of fighters - French and American. The new purchase will make the UAE, apparently, the largest operator of Rafale fighters after France. The UAE became the sixth foreign customer of Rafale fighters, and the third new foreign customer in 2021.
Signing by Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of the French company Dassault Aviation, and Tarek Abdul Rahim Al Hosani, CEO of the Emirati state Defense Industrial holding Tavazun, of a contract for the supply of 80 Dassault Rafale F4 fighters to the UAE Air Force and Air Defense, 03.12.2021 (c) Dassault Aviation
