Qatar has placed an additional order for 12 more Dassault Rafale fighters jets, in a move to considerably expand defensive/offensive ...
Qatar has placed an additional order for 12 more Dassault Rafale fighters jets, in a move to considerably expand defensive/offensive capability of the country.
The deal is follow on to the contract signed on 4 May 2015 between Qatar and Dassault Aviation for acquisition of 24 Rafale.
The agreement was signed in the presence of the French President Mr. Emmanuel Macron, and his Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Qatar Armed Forces and Dassault Aviation.
Traditionally a French ally, Qatar has also bolstered its international ties by placing combat aircraft deal with United States and United Kingdom, amid an severed relation and blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia and UAE.
The country has placed an order for 36 Boeing F-15QA strike aircraft from United States for 21.1 USD in November 2016.
In September 2017, a Letter of Intent for acquisition of 24 Eurofighter Typhoon jets were signed between British BAE Systems. The Eurofighter is a consortium of companies from UK, Germany, Italy and Spain.
The Eurofighter Typhoon was a pan European effort in the 1990s, but France exited the program and developed the Rafale indigenously.
Currently the Qatar Emiri Air Force operates just 9 single engine Dassault Mirage 2000 multi-role fighters, which will be replaced by 96 twin engined high performance jets from Europe and USA.
The first Dassault Rafale will be delivered to Qatar in mid-2018, with at least three aircraft undergoing flight testing in France.
