I'd be really interested in seeing a link to a firm announcement of a deal - because all I can find is an announcement on the 26th May 2009 saying the UAE is "seriously considering" a deal.

 

Ian

 

The Rafale is going to be the UAE AF new plane. The UAE government just sent the "technical and operationnal specifications" to the french gov.

The UAE wish to acquire 60 Rafale of a more modern version than the one used in France, with for example more powerful engines and radar.

This new version, which we will call tranche 4 (Rafale F4), could one day also be in service in the French AF.

This is good news for Dassault. With one export order, the Rafale is more likely to be chosen in Switzerland and Brazil where he was the favourite.

no official announcement because there is still no firm sale.

They agreed on the product, now they have to agree on a price (another part of the export process)

*ttp://secretdefense.blogs.liberation.fr/   (in french)

It is a good new for France.

Dassault is only a supplier.

The good new is that UAE  are satisfied with technical specifications.

They are a rich client who want the best of the best available on amrket and can go american like for F16E if we do not supply the right stuff.

 

Looking again, I see errors in premises of some French posters,

 

UAE just said they would buy the RAFALE..This is a long story and doest mean  it is a deal..A letter of intent is not a contract..

 

1-SNECMA will have to invest hundresds of millions of Euros in new engines..

2-UAE wants AESA which would be available in 2012

3-The deal is contingent upon France buying M-2000's back..

4- The last but not least..The question of Price..

 

All these must be negotiad first..Remember,Marocca and Libya wanted to buy RAFALE as well!

So if this deal goes through, it will come to effect no earlier than 2013..If you ask me, it is like a first parole hearing of a serial killer after 10 years of incarceration, could go either way.,

Nothing has been signed yet .

 

 

The UAE already have the most capable fighter in the region, the F-16 Block/60. That is at least 2/3 times better than any thing Iran or Syria can throw at them for now. If it had to do with capabilities they would of orderd more of this fighters, even though they do not need more at the moment. This is political, nothing more, nothing less.

"This is political, nothing more, nothing less."

 

Exactly, internet kiddies will try to pretend this is something it isn't, but this has nothing to do with capabilities. 

 

The UAE's threat nation is flying crap.  A fully upgraded F-14 or Mig-29 could be formidable, even a F-4 could be dangerous if it had the right upgrades, but that isn't what we are talking about here.  Most of Iran's front-line aircraft haven't been upgraded in 30 years.

 

The only reason you go and trade in your fleet of largely brand-new, top-of-the-line Mirage 2000-9s for Rafales is because you are doing the French government a favor.  

 

I think that purchasing the best fighter that they can afford is a smart move on the part of the UAE and I think that as a non-aligned state not only purchasing from one source such as the US is also smart. There is nothing to say that they might only fight Iran or Syria in the future, what if there was ever a conflict with Saudi Arabia with all of their modern gear with the US backing the Saudis? Just because their governments are on good terms now doesn't mean that it will always be the case and it takes a long time to integrate a new fighter into an airforce if circumstances change. Being able to trade the Mirages for the Rafales sounds like a pretty sweet deal and is probably why they don't seem to be seriously considering competitors such as the Typhoon and the Gripen.

The best fighter they can afford? The Rafale costs more than any of its competitors, and is not even the most capable bird form the bunch. The UAE F-16's are more capable than the Rafales. As I pointed out earlier, This is political, nothing more, nothing less.

Sarkozy-I know you guys don't really need it, but look at every thing we are doing for you, can you please buy some.

UAE- sure we got money to throw away, oh and you have to buy back our Mirage 2000's

 

 

Look closely at the cockpit and fuselage behind the Sheik. It has all of the fit and finish of a middle school metal shop project completed by a 12 year old. The paint looks tired too. I'd be ashamed to release this photo if I was Dasault.

 

This is a picture taken off of Global Security.org of a FA-18 built in the '80s. Note the quality differences in the finish around the cockpit. You don't have any sheet metal edges (uneven edges on the Rafale), and you can't see the rivets.