U.A.E. Signs Contract to Buy 80 Rafale F4 Jets, 12 H225M Helicopters

The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) has entered into a contract with Dassault Aviation for the acquisition of 80 Rafale F4 fighters on Friday.

The contract was signed in the presence of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed Al Nahyane, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Vice-Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, signed a historical contract with Tareq Abdul Raheem Al Hosani, CEO of Tawazun Economic Council.

The Emirates Air Force will be the first user of the Rafale F4 outside France.

“The sale of 80 Rafale to the UAE Federation is a French success story: I am very proud and very happy as a result. I wish to thank the authorities of the Emirates for their renewed confidence in our aircraft. After the Mirage 5 and Mirage 2000, this Rafale contract consolidates the strategic relationship that binds our two countries and the satisfaction of the Emirates Air Force, a long-standing and demanding partner of our company. I wish to underline the quality and effectiveness of the relationship between the French authorities and industry, which contributed to this success by team France,” Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.

The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, welcomes the choice of the United Arab Emirates in favor of the Rafale to modernize their fleet of combat aircraft:

"The Rafales and related equipment are ordered by the United Arab Emirates via commercial contracts between the United Arab Emirates, the GIE Rafale (Dassault Aviation, Safran and Thales) and MBDA. This acquisition is part of a major equipment and training program, which is the subject of an intergovernmental agreement and two cooperation arrangements in the operational and armaments fields."