Failures have been haunting France for more than one year, deliveries of the Rafale fighter to the UAE, which the countries have agreed on since 2008, will never happen. The customer, the United Arab Emirates, refused to buy French fighters, saying that this proposal was uncompetitive and inoperative, and announced an open tender for 60 aircraft of this class. Now the manufacturing company "Rafale" will have to fight the American companies "Boeing" and "Lockheed Martin".
Until now, the UAE was considered by all to be the main external buyer of Rafale fighters. These fighters were supposed to replace obsolete aircraft of this class, namely the Mirage 2000 fighters purchased back in the 90s from France. The amount of the proposed transaction is about 8.5 billion euros.
The head of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, personally promised the UAE leadership to carry out the deal at the highest level and offered various bonuses to the proposed contract.
The UAE, as far as is known, demanded the installation of a newer Snecma M88-2 engine, equip fighters with RBE2-AA radars and placed an order for Thales SPECTRA electronic warfare. In addition to these requirements, the UAE leadership very insistently demanded the joint production of aircraft.
The beginning of the abandonment of French fighters was a request last year by the UAE Ministry of Defense from the American company "Boeing" about the capabilities of the "F / A-18E / F Super Hornet". At first glance, it might seem that the UAE military is knocking down the price for the French Dassault "Rafale", because its cost varies from equipment options and, according to official figures, is 85-125 million dollars. Well, the American "Super Hornet" is now estimated at $ 60-85 million. Based on the fact that the United Arab Emirates has requested to upgrade the fighter, the price for the Rafale is most likely in the region of more than $ 100 million.
In July 2011, the United Arab Emirates' military department begins negotiations with another American fighter aircraft company, Lockheed Martin. The UAE military has requested all information regarding the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
After a request to Lockheed Martin, there is a period of silence in the Rafal negotiations.
In October 2011, the head of the French military department makes a statement that negotiations for the supply of French fighters are entering their final stage. However, the United Arab Emirates is again submitting a request, now to the European consortium "Eurofighter", inviting them to submit their proposal for the supply of the fighter to the UAE armed forces. At this hour, the consortium is just preparing its proposal.
And on November 16, 2011, the deputy head of the UAE Armed Forces made a statement, which says about the non-competitiveness of the French "Rafale", and now the UAE Armed Forces are looking for alternative sources for the supply of combat aircraft, announcing an open tender.
The official bidders are already known:
- American "F-15 Eagle and F / A-18E / F" manufactured by "Boeing";
- European "Typhoon" manufactured by "Eurofighter".
Dassault does not comment on this issue, some sources familiar with this situation in general report that the negotiation process is still ongoing and all the customer's statements are just attempts to bring down the offered price.
It is very possible that the true goal of the UAE military is the French "Rafale", but nevertheless, this situation will most likely lead to the conclusion of a more profitable contract with participants in an open tender for the supply of UAE fighters.
Dassault has already offered its aircraft to countries such as Libya, Kuwait, Switzerland, England and Oman. So far, none of these states have wanted to purchase the Rafale fighter.
The French fighter is currently one of the finalists in a tender announced by India for the supply of fighters to its armed forces. It is possible that the Rafale fighter will also fail to gain recognition in the Indian tender.
