Year of the Rafale
 

Egypt 24
India 36
Qatar 24


all of them confirmed, on the shelves purchases without bothering for technology transfer, and in all three cases, definite possibility of follow-up deals...


All that nicely explained in US Forbes magazine :
Winners And Losers In The Changing Arab Gulf Fighter Market - Forbes


So... who is next ? There might be again some surprises in the coming months (Paris Air Show next month)


The Bordeaux factory of Dassault Aviation is geared for 30+ fighters a month, anyway...

It makes you wonder what BAe would be geared up for production wise in case of war.
We would probably still be in the inquiry stage as to permitting the extra traffic flows to the plant, or developing the new enlarged menu for the works canteen.

The Canadians may be next, if there's a change in Government later this year.

The Rafale production line was scheduled to close in 2018 without these - I wonder how cheaply they have sold these?

If past performance of the French in such matters is anything to go by they would be very cheap. Some crazy ideas were run at the Australian government in the late 1970's to land a deal for the Mirage 2000. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and the Hornet was perchased. That may be almost 40 years ago but I doubt much has changed with the French.

A French purchase would suit Canada very well, particularly les Quebecois:

At least the Rafale is a proper aircraft.

Not like the F-35, which is more like a conjoined services clusterfcuk...

A deserving winner.

Congrats for buying the more expensive & inferior aircraft! :ok:


vive la différence

The French are offering an assembly deal to the Canadians, which is highly attractive in my view.
Fundamentally, Canada needs a twin-engined aircraft.
Nothing will happen until after the Federal Election, which is due by 19th October, and is currently a three horse race,with two of said horses likely to not buy F-35.

Not true. The fifth tranche has been confirmed by the MoD last year keeping the line busy until 2025 with 11 per month rate for the french orders. These new orders could postpone even further the shutdown of the line, but an increase in production has been decided to fulfill these international orders (Qatar, India & Egypt ones).

Nothing is ever cheap with Dassault products. Everyone knows that.

If you are looking for reasons of this incredible outcome for the Rafale program, you can start looking at the current foreign policy being considered by the White House.

The UK should get 'em to use ont' carriers.

Mind you, mind be something missing......:sad:

What use is an aircraft catapult likely to ever be on an aircraft carrier anyway?
Or arresting gear?

Nah. No use at all.

Best to save a few quid eh?

1. a production line of combat aircraft, running on government orders and MoD budgets, is by obligation always running with typically 3 years ahead, to the contrary of Airbus or Boeing factories. So that was bringing us to 2018, as pointed by a poster above - before the three recent orders. To make everybody wonder, the line of the F16 should close as soon as 2016 - as UAE deal does appear stalled (thanks US Policy in Middle-East) and Iraqi aircraft will NEVER be delivered.... :ugh:

2. why speculate about passed fighters deal with the RAAF ? they have no threat down south, so they can buy any type of aircraft they want, it's not conclusive... :rolleyes:

3. joking about French banks ? because of course british deals for Typhoons have always been a model of profitability ? .... :cool:

So much bitterness from fanboys... Hilarious.

Are there any objective comparisons showing:

a. How the Mirage 2000 stacked up against the F/A18 and
b. How Rafale compares with Typhoon?

Seen HUD video of a Mirage 2000 guns tracking an F-16 pulling 9G. The M2000 was pulling 11.2G, stable. Eye-watering stuff.

You have a link?

Sorry. During a debrief at TLP, 1992. Youtube not invented so nothing kept; maybe kept by the French. EC1/2 Cigognes IIRC.

My point was to show how crazy the French will get to sell their aircraft no matter how unsuitable it was for the Air Force in question.