President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met Tuesday with Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation Éric Trappier to review the frameworks of cooperation between the two sides in the field of military manufacturing, technical support, and capacity building.
President Sisi welcomed continuous cooperation with the French company, in light of its extensive expertise in the field of military industries and state- of-the-art technological systems.
The meeting was attended by Commander of the Strategic Command and Supervisor of Military Industrialization Lieutenant General Ahmed Khaled.
Egypt acquired 24 Rafale fighter jets through a €5.3-billion contract signed with Dassault in 2015. It will obtain 30 more between 2024 and 2026 according to a €3.75-billion contract signed between both parties in May 2021.
According to the company's website, "this new order complements the first acquisition of 24 Rafales signed on February 2015 and will bring the number of Rafales flying under Egyptian colors to 54, making the Egyptian Air Force the second in the world after the French Air Force, to operate such a fleet of Rafales."
The deal will be financed by a loan that will be repaid over 10 years, according to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Defense.
The aircraft has a multi-sensor data fusion, and “has the potential to integrate a variety of current and future armaments.”
Rafale jets in Egypt took part in training activities, securing Egyptian vital areas, operations to combat terrorism, and aviation shows when inaugurating Mohamed Naguib airbase, the largest in MENA region.
Wed, Feb. 7, 2024
