Egypt will receive Rafale fighter jets in 2024-2026: French Defense Ministry Spox

CAIRO – 27 May 2021: French Defense Ministry Spokesman Herve Grandjean revealed that the contract that was signed between Egypt and the French Dassault Aviation company to purchase 30 Rafale fighter jets would come into force this summer.

In an interview with Egyptian channel Extra News telecast on Wednesday evening, Grandjean added that Egpt will start receiving this batch of the fighter jets, besides additional 24 jets more, in the period between 2024 and 2026.

The French spokesman expressed his country’s keenness in standing by Egypt for upgrading the Egyptian defense equipment.

Early May 2021, Egypt signed a contract with the French Dassault Aviation company to purchase 30 Rafale fighter jets, worth 3.75 billion euro ($4.5 billion).

 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 on May 4, 20201.

Egypt had signed a contract in 2015 with France to get 24 Rafale fighter jets for the Egyptian Air Force. The 24 Rafale aircrafts were part of a deal valued at 5.3 billion euros ($5.9 billion). Rafale was first introduced in the French Air Defense in 2006.

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.