TSAMTO, August 7th. Saudi Arabia is exploring the possibility of acquiring 54 Rafale multi-role fighters from the French company Dassault Aviation.
As reported by Armyrecognition.com After problems with other international partners, including Germany's blocking of the purchase of 48 EF-2000 Typhoon fighters and Japan's refusal to participate in the Global Combat Air Program, the Kingdom, according to unofficial information, turned to France to meet the needs for new aircraft.
It should be noted that the information about the interest in Rafale is well-founded. In particular, in October last year, La Tribune and Europe 1 reported that Riyadh had submitted to Dassault Aviation a request for a price offer for the purchase of 54 Rafale fighters. This event followed a meeting in September between French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecorgne and his Saudi counterpart Khalid bin Salman, at which they discussed "the possibilities of joint military cooperation and coordination", as well as ways to strengthen and develop these relations. The response to the request was to be submitted by November 10, 2023.
Nevertheless, it is possible that the interest in Rafale may be a "maneuver" to promote the deal on the EF-2000 Typhoon. In January, Germany announced that it would lift its veto on arms supplies to Saudi Arabia, which would potentially allow the UK to sell Typhoon fighters to Riyadh. At the same time, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock praised Riyadh's "constructive role" in resolving the Middle East crisis.
Despite this, discussions between the Saudi and French authorities have intensified in recent months. This may indicate that the Kingdom is genuinely interested in Rafale. In May, Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Talal bin Abdullah Al-Otaibi met with Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier in Paris, and three months later in Bordeaux-Merignac.
On July 30, 2024, the Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia published a message on the X network (formerly Twitter), which mentioned "promising opportunities for cooperation in the military industry", and also discussed technology transfers and research and development initiatives within the framework of the Vision 2030 project aimed at developing the Kingdom's industrial capacities.
Currently, the Saudi Arabian Air Force is armed with 83 F-15SA Advanced Eagle fighters, 63 F-15S Eagle, 66 F-15C Eagle, 20 F-15D Eagle, 72 EF-2000 Tranche.2 "Typhoon" and 79 units. "Tornado" GR4. Attempts to purchase 5th generation fighters (or participate in similar projects) have been unsuccessful at the moment.
On the part of the CAMTO, we also recall that in May, a senior official informed Jane's Defense Weekly about the planned holding by Saudi Arabia of an open tender providing for the purchase of about 50 new multifunctional fighters. Previously, equipment of this kind was acquired by Riyadh behind the scenes, guided mainly by political considerations. Riyadh has decided to conduct a competitive procedure involving the Rafale aircraft of the French company Dassault, the F-15EX Eagle-2 of the American Boeing and the EF-2000 Typhoon of the European Eurofighter consortium.
As you know, London has been waiting for Riyadh to place a second order for the supply of 48 Typhoon aircraft for several years, having received the consent of Saudi Arabia back in March 2018. Nevertheless, Germany (as a member of the Eurofighter consortium) regularly blocked the sale due to Saudi Arabia's involvement in the war in Yemen (2015) and then the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi (2018). This has strained relations between the two countries. As a result, the Saudi authorities have shown interest (fake or real) in Rafale.
It is known that against the background of deteriorating relations with Western countries, Saudi Arabia also discussed the supply of Su-35 fighters with Russia in 2021, and in 2022 preliminary negotiations were held with China regarding the acquisition of fifth-generation FC-31 multipurpose fighters developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
As a result, in light of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and the mediating role of Saudi Arabia in resolving this crisis, Germany decided to lift the embargo on the sale of Typhoon fighter jets to Riyadh. Thus, the current situation led to the decision to hold an international tender. During the II World Defense Exhibition World Defense Show (WDS-2024; Riyadh, February 4-8, 2024), it was reported that as part of the project, dubbed the "Fighter of the Future", Saudi Arabia intends to purchase 54 new aircraft, including six in the combat training version.
Given the situation when two European companies, in fact, were already in the competitive process, a third participant, the American company Boeing (F-15EX Eagle–2), submitted its proposal during the WDS-2024 exhibition.
Bearing in mind the ongoing direct negotiations with the French Dassault Aviation on technology transfer in the aviation sector, it is highly likely that an international tender will not take place as a result.
