The Egyptian Air Force is very close to receiving the first batch of six Dassault Rafale F3 fighters, which is expected by the end of the year.
One of the supersonic jets was spotted at the manufacturer’s facilities in France already bearing Egyptian markings and the inscription “EM09” on the tail.
Egypt ordered 30 new Rafale F3-R fighters in 2021 amid a canceled deal for Sukhoi Su-35 jets from Russia.
The new Rafale are more modern than the 24 fighters received previously, of which the majority (18 jets) are the two-seat DM variant.
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Introduced in 2018, the Rafale F-3R has received upgrades to its weapons and avionics systems, including integration with MBDA’s Meteor long-range air-to-air missile.
The variant has been supplanted by the Rafale F4.2, which has greater connectivity with other platforms and an advanced RBE2 AESA radar, among other features.
However, it is believed that the new Egyptian Rafale aircraft could be upgraded in the future to receive new technical packages.
Rising tensions in the Middle Eastern
Like other Middle Eastern countries, Egypt has been expanding its fighter fleet amid rising tensions in the region.
In addition to the Rafale, the country has held talks to acquire F-15s and even Eurofighter Typhoons, but no deals have been announced to date.
The Egyptian Air Force operates, in addition to the 24 Rafales, 19 Mirage 2000, 43 MiG-29 and 80 Mirage 5, but the country’s main fighter is the F-16, of which the service reportedly has 218 aircraft, including A/B and C/D variants.
Via Bulgarian Military.
