Dassault officially delivered the first three Rafale ominrole fighter jets to Egypt today at the Dassault Aviation flight test center ...
Dassault officially delivered the first three Rafale ominrole fighter jets to Egypt today at the Dassault Aviation flight test center in Istres, under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Ehab Badawy, Egyptian Ambassador to France, and in the presence of Dassault Aviation Chairman & CEO Eric Trappier.
This first delivery comes just five months after the Egyptian decision to acquire 24 Rafales (16 two-seaters and 8 single-seaters) to bolster its Air Force.
Dassault has trained an initial group of technicians to maintain the formidable jets. Egyptian pilots, trained by the French Air Force, will fly the first three Rafales to Cairo on the day after the ceremony.
The Rafale is the fourth Dassault aircraft to fly in Egyptian colors after Mirage 5, the Alpha Jet and the Mirage 2000. Egypt is also the first export customer for the Rafale, as it was for the Mirage 2000.
The deal was crucial for Dassault, as its production line was going to halt after completing French Air Force and Navy orders. Qatar and India followed to buy 24 and 36 Rafale fighters respectively.