With billions in new deals, French fighter Rafale returns

The sale of 80 Rafale fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates was not only considered “historic” but also seemed to confirm the continued commercial success of the French fighter, a twin-engine aircraft capable of operating from the ground or from an aircraft carrier. .

A December 3 deal for France to sell 80 Rafale fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was hailed as “historic” by French Defense Minister Florence Parly. The CEO of Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation, Éric Trappier, also proclaimed his delight at the deal, which he described as “the most important contract ever won by the French military aviation industry.” Trappier was understandably elated when Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed ben Zayed al-Nahyane signed the € 16 billion deal (including € 2 billion for weapons), a record for the French aircraft maker.

For Dassault, and also for Thales (the company that supplies all of Rafale’s internal electrical systems), Safran (which supplies the motors) and several hundred other subcontractors, the deal means a guaranteed business for more than six years. It takes at least a month to make a Rafale.

80 Rafale. Signature of a contract historique avec les Émirats arabes unis. A strategic partnership that is more solid than ever. Fière de voir l’excellence industrielle française au sommet.

– Florence Parly (@florence_parly) December 3, 2021

Phoenix rising from the ashes?

The sale, which is also good economic news for French President Emmanuel Macron, just over four months before the next presidential election, further strengthens the Rafale’s reputation as the “phoenix” of military aviation.

During its more than 25 years of existence, the jet has faced challenges and has emerged in different variations. Presented as one of the most advanced fighters in its early days, the Rafale has struggled to sell abroad.

Negotiations for the sale of the Rafale fighter jets have dragged on for more than a decade, and Abu Dhabi publicly rejected France’s offer to supply 60 jets in 2011 as “uncompetitive and unviable.”

Until 2015, Dassault Aviation was fighting an uphill battle, and it wasn’t for want of trying. Whether in Brazil, India or the United Arab Emirates (negotiations with Abu Dhabi had been going on since 2008), the Rafale was deemed too expensive: its asking price was around 100 million euros, not to mention its costs. maintenance, which were “among the highest in the market”, according to a report published by the University of Toulon in 2011. Its competitors, such as the multinational Eurofighter, Swedish fighters Gripen and American aircraft, usually sell for less than 100 million of euros.

Indeed, the French aircraft was locked in a vicious cycle: Dassault Aviation needed more orders before economies of scale allowed it to sell at a lower price, but countries were reluctant to commit to buying because of price. And sales of the plane to the French military would never be great enough.

Ultimately, the Rafale proved its worth in Libya and Afghanistan as the first decade of the 2000s came to a close, sparking more international interest. Their performance in battle conditions was the turning point, according to the business daily La Tribune.

In 2015, Egypt became the first Rafale buyer outside of the French military, buying about 20 aircraft. Other contracts followed, with India, Qatar, Greece and Croatia, until the United Arab Emirates this week became the sixth member of Rafale’s club of foreign clients.

This latest contract means that more Rafale aircraft are now being sold abroad than in France (236 international sales versus 192 domestic).

Long shadow of the American F-35

But the Rafale’s rebirth, once described as a “cursed plane” and now considered a success story, isn’t all that impressive when viewed in the context of the broader international arms market, said Alexandre Vautravers, weapons expert and publisher. by Swiss Military. Review (RMS). “This achievement still remains well below what direct competition, starting with the American F-35 made by Lockheed Martin, announced at the same time,” he told FRANCE 24.

Lockheed Martin has already sold nearly 1,000 F-35s worldwide, not counting orders from the US Army itself, and more orders mean the US manufacturer can do what Dassault Aviation cannot: lower its price. The F-35A model costs less than $ 80 million (€ 70 million).

This leaves the Rafale in an awkward position. The F-35 is cheaper, newer (only 15 years in service) and “40% more efficient, according to estimates by the Swiss authorities,” Vautravers explained.

Both aircraft occupy the same market niche: multipurpose or “omnipurpose” fighter jets, to use official Dassault Aviation jargon. During a single mission, they are capable of establishing air superiority, the traditional mission of combat aircraft, as well as conducting bombing and ground support operations.

But the F-35 is also a stealth fighter jet, which is not the case with the Rafale, and it has a longer range.

A geopolitical weapon?

The main advantage of the French aircraft is strategic.

“The biggest selling point of the Rafale aircraft is that it circumvents any possible US embargo,” Vautravers said. It is better not to rely solely on the United States for defense equipment in case Washington imposes economic sanctions. The “Rafale, like the Russian systems, allows people to diversify,” he said.

In general, the Rafales are selling better now “because there is a growing market,” Vautravers said. The real test of how to assess how well the French aircraft is performing in a competitive market is to look at the countries where Dassault has found new buyers.

Most of Rafale’s sales have been made “in countries that had already bought French planes,” he said. Egypt, Greece and the United Arab Emirates signed up to renew their French fleets. Even India already had French fighter jets. France has failed to attract new customers, it has only kept old ones.

Ongoing negotiations to sell 36 French jets to Indonesiq are therefore key for Dassault, as a deal would eventually bring France a new customer.

This article was translated from the original in French.