Egypt signs for 30 more Rafales from France

Egypt has signed for a further 30 Dassault Rafale combat aircraft to add to the 24 already received.

Egypt is set to receive a further 30 Rafales to add to the 24 already in service. (Dassault)

The Egyptian Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the deal on 4 May, noting that the EUR3.8 billion (USD4.6 billion) procurement will be financed via a 10-year loan.

“In the context of the political leadership’s interest in developing comprehensive state forces, Egypt and France have signed a contract for the supply of 30 Rafale aircraft,” the Egyptian MoD spokesperson said”.

Egypt signed for its first 24 Rafales (16 Rafale B/DM two-seaters and eight Rafale C/EM single-seaters) in early 2015, with deliveries commencing later the same year and running through to late 2017. Neither the composition of this latest order nor its delivery timeline have been revealed.

The initial Rafale deal included a comprehensive weapons package that comprised the Safran/MBDA Armament Air-Sol Modulair (AASM) Hammer (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) air-to-ground missile; both variants of the MBDA MICA (Missile d'Interception, de Combat et d'Autodéfense) short- and beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM): MICA (EM) RF, featuring an active radio frequency (RF) seeker, and MICA IR, featuring a dual waveband imaging infrared (IR) seeker; MBDA'’s Exocet AM39 anti-ship missile; and MBDA’s SCALP (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée) conventionally-armed long-range deep strike weapon (delivery of this weapon was initially blocked because of US ITAR issues but a missile was photographed by Egyptian military media at Gebel el-Basur Air Base earlier this year). It is unclear if additional weapons will be included in this latest deal.