The signing of a 16 billion euros contract between the United Arab Emirates and France for the supply of 80 RAFALE F4 fighter jets was announced on Friday.
Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of RAFALE F4 aircraft, announced that the United Arab Emirates has purchased the upgraded F4 version of their multi-role combat aircraft, which is going to make the Emirati Air Force, the first to use the Rafale F4 outside of France.
According to the French Defense Ministry, this is the country’s largest-ever weapons contract for export. In the midst of his two-day trip to the Persian Gulf, French President Emmanuel Macron made his first stop in the United Arab Emirates.
)France maintains strong links with the United Arab Emirates. In 2009, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) established a French naval base at Abu Dhabi’s Port Zayed. Warplanes and personnel from France are also stationed at Al-Dhafra Air Base, a huge military installation outside the Emirati city of Abu Dhabi that also serves as a base for several thousand American troops.
Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier hailed the agreement as “a French success story” and “excellent news for France and for its aeronautical industry” after signing the RAFALE F4.
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