French President Emmanuel Macron, left, is greeted by Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at the Dubai Expo on the first day of his Gulf tour on December 3, 2021. (AFP)
Arab News: UAE, France sign $18 billion deal for 80 Rafale jets as Macron starts Gulf tour
* Macron arrived in the early hours of Friday for a brief Gulf tour where he will also visit Qatar
DUBAI: French President Emmanuel Macron met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on Friday at the start of a two-day Gulf tour that saw France sell the UAE 80 French-made Rafale warplanes for $18.08 billion (€16 billion).
France’s Defense Minister said the deal was France’s largest-ever weapons contract for export while the Minister for the Armed Forces hailed the deal as "historic."
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UAE, France Sign $18 Billion Deal For 80 Rafale Jets
UAE buys record 80 French fighter jets as Macron starts Gulf tour -- France 24
UAE signs contract with France for 80 Rafale warplanes as Macron visits Gulf -- Euronews/AP
France signs €17B defense contract with the United Arab Emirates -- Politico
France says UAE arms deal secures supply chain, jobs -- Reuters
France, UAE Sign Multi-Billion Dollar Rafale Warplanes Deal -- Sputnik
Sold, yes, but at what price?
ReplyDeleteIf it is break even or better then Macron has done good. Break even is risky, but it keeps light on, paychecks coming, etc.
ReplyDeleteThing lily-livered socialist do not understand that you cannot have expansion or a rainy day fund with perpetual break even.
But the question of the cost is a fair one. Spare parts usually have a hefty markup.
So much for the F-35's
ReplyDeleteThats cheap
ReplyDeleteWhy would the UAE want the F-35s? So they could go broke? Because they are export versions. If the French jets are goo enough versus the Houthis and the Iranians maybe something less bleeding edge is the way to go? Don't know, but people should question either way.
ReplyDeleteThe French deal is not only for the Rafale but also for helicopters and a very lot of ammunition. So, that's hard to know the sale price of the planes.
ReplyDelete