Dassault Aviation has 164 Rafales on Back Order

French company Dassault Aviation confirmed it has an order for 164 Rafale combat jets that will be soon fulfilled.

In 2022, the U.A.E. acquired 80 Rafales, while Greece and Indonesia each bought 6 jets. In the previous year, the company sold 49 of these jets.

The company said it delivered fewer Rafale jets in 2022 than in 2021. 14 Rafale aircraft were handed over to customers this year, of which, one was for France. This figure for the year before stood at 86.

The marine variant of the Rafale is on India’s shopping list, and a deal is likely to be inked in March. Rafale was also chosen by the Colombian Air Force as its Kfir replacement, but this contract has reportedly hit a snag over non-adherence to procurement timeline. Serbia has also shown interest in acquiring 12 Dassault fighters.