France to sell Rafale/Tiger to Libya

[Razor61]

PARIS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - France could sell between 10 and 14 "Rafale" combat
aircraft to Libya during a state visit to Paris by Muammar Gaddafi, La
Tribune newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Dassault Aviation which builds the Rafale, declined to comment on the report. The office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy also declined to comment. Gaddafi is due to visit France for five days from Dec. 10, La Tribune said. It will be his first visit in more than 30 years.
The newspaper said Libya was seeking the Rafale for its special forces and
was also seeking to buy between eight and 12 "Tiger" helicopters, made by
EADS-subsidiary Eurocopter (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), and two naval patrol boats.
The visit should also formalise the sale of Airbus A350 XWB and other
aircraft to two Libyan airlines, it said.
Sarkozy signed defence and nuclear energy accords during a controversial
visit to Libya in July.

-END-

So who's next? Iran? :suspect:

[benzonar]

Well they are getting desperate to find an export market, but do they really think Libya is a good idea?

[Razor61]

Going by their previous market and buyers, i think they do. It is France afterall.

[Magnersdrinker]

Did we sell them Hawks a while back or did that fall through ?

I thought the UK tried to make peace as Libya has much Oil and that usually helps.

[GreenKnight121]

Weren't there "solid reports" in the French media about "impending sales orders" of Rafale to Morocco, Saudia Arabia, etc.?


What happened to those?

[Wensleydale]

Unless they top up the export market, the French will have nobody to surrender to!

[dakkg651]

I thought that rafale was that cheap fizzy stuff they serve to UAS studes in the mess.