UAE Rafale sales status update : 60 for UAE + 14~28 for Kuwait. Announcement by Dubai Airshow

Email Me When A New Comment Is Made
Show Only Poster Name and Title Newest to Oldest

Pages: 1 2 3 NEXT

Phaid 9/30/2009 8:46:38 AM

No news here. This "deal" has been kicking around for over a year with no resolution, and this article doesn't really bring any new information.

Quote Reply

Bluewings12 9/30/2009 7:13:01 PM

I agree with Phaid , nothing new here .

**********************

What is new is that France found a buyer for a lot of M2000-9s ;-)

Cheers .

Quote Reply

sentinel28a 10/1/2009 1:33:38 PM

I don't see how, BW. It sounds like France would be buying back the Mirage 2000s. Do they already have a buyer? Because that's the only way this makes sense.

I assume the Mirages would be bought back over several years on a 1-1 basis, otherwise the UAE is giving up a damn fine proven fighter for something that may or may not materialize.

I can see Kuwait buying Rafales, especially if they're planning on expanding their air force (which they should, with Iran literally next door). Hawks aren't going to cut it and their F-18s aren't getting any younger.

Quote Reply

Phaid 10/1/2009 2:37:02 PM

France has already ruled out buying back the 2000-9s for itself. They already have a roadmap for their fighter force, involving Rafale purchases and limited upgrades to their existing fleet of F1s and 2000Cs, Ds, and -5s, and the 2000-9s would be a more costly option that would inevitably force them to reduce the number of Rafales purchased. In short, it ain't gonna happen.

Currently the only serious potential customer for the 2000-9s is Romania, but there is no firm offer there, just an expression of interest since Romania needs new fighters and the 2000-9s are the most modern fighters they could realistically afford.

But the fact remains that this deal requires somehow selling 60-odd relatively modern fighter planes, which as anyone who has been paying attention realizes is not a quick or easy thing to do.

Quote Reply

Bluewings12 10/1/2009 4:21:54 PM

Sentinel , France is indeed trying to sale the dash 9s to Romania .

Phaid ~as usual~ is rather well informed . Not much is leaking out about the deal but I think that the Romanians are up for it .

""Engine thrust upgraded form 7.5 ton to 9 ton to cope with UAE's hot weather""

This is not really part of the requirement but the UAE want the M88-3 . Rafale already demonstrated its excellent thrust under very hot condition but the UAE has money to spare and getting a more powerfull engines is never bad .

Regarding the AESA RBE2 , the radar fulfill the UAE (and India) needs as far as we know .

SAR mode which is one of the request :

""a new sensor for missiles""

This is incorrect . What they want is the latest EM sensor with the "anti towed decoy feature" which is already ordered by the French DGA . It is expensive but again they have the money for .

Cheers .

Quote Reply

sentinel28a 10/1/2009 11:46:51 PM

Romania's got the money to buy 60 Mirage 2000-9s?

Quote Reply

gf0012-aust 10/2/2009 1:13:11 AM

Romania's got the money to buy 60 Mirage 2000-9s?

they've been getting the israelis to upgrade their aircraft to meet NATO compliance, they did that because they can't afford new aircraft.

they still can't afford a replacement fleet with all its inherent logistics train unless its basically gifted.

Quote Reply

duplex 10/2/2009 10:29:28 AM

Buying back the Mirage's is the greatest stumbling block to the deal . I doubt that anybody would be willing to buy 60 old Mirages in a such competitive market.. There is no market for this...

Quote Reply

gf0012-aust 10/2/2009 10:58:51 AM

Buying back the Mirage's is the greatest stumbling block to the deal . I doubt that anybody would be willing to buy 60 old Mirages in a such competitive market.. There is no market for this...

the only countries that would be interested are existing Mirage users - otherwise it means another logistics and through life support issue. considering that the sustainment of a platform in its entire life can equate to some 60% (and slightly increasing every year that the platform ages) of total cost, then the beancounters will be twitching their tails when they do their 15-30 year costings. apart from which, no one will be maintaining those platforms for another 30 years, so the efficiency numbers when doing TLS will be "ugly".

Considering the fact that the Romanians did their sums a few years back and went with system upgrades rather than new buys, then I can hardly see them buggering up their treasury coffers by injecting a new and different solution with dissimilar parts etc... into their orbat. One thing everyone knows is not to buy systems like the Indians have done. Its biting them on the arse. Buying a different combat system is more than just the isssue of the general public seeing the sexy bits at airshows and service day events. Esp in the current financial climate.

Quote Reply

warpig 10/2/2009 12:09:16 PM

Buying back the Mirage's is the greatest stumbling block to the deal . I doubt that anybody would be willing to buy 60 old Mirages in a such competitive market.. There is no market for this...

Maybe France could risk the wrath of China, and convince Taiwan to buy them in order to double the number of Mirages the TAF keeps in storage.

Quote Reply

1 2 3 NEXT