The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, confirmed this Monday, October 23, “discussions” between Saudi Arabia and the aeronautics and defense group Dassault Aviation on the potential purchase of Rafale combat aircraft.
“Yes, discussions exist but as always in this type of discussions and commercial relations between a company from the French industrial and technological defense base and a foreign sovereign state, the minister is not intended to comment in the press what can be discussed here or there,” Sébastien Lecornu said during a press conference.
According to the Tribune Sunday, Saudi Arabia asked Dassault Aviation for a quote for the acquisition of 54 Rafale aircraft, while the kingdom has so far sourced its combat aircraft from the Americans and a European consortium. The weekly, citing unidentified “concordant sources”, assures that the French aircraft manufacturer has “until November 10 to respond” to Riyadh’s request. Sébastien Lecornu declined to make any further comments.
A late success
According to the Tribune Sundaythe Saudi Air Force has until now favored the American F-15 or the Eurofighter Typhoon manufactured by a consortium including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Dassault’s plane has already made inroads among Arabia’s neighbors since Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are equipped with it. Once considered unsaleable outside of France, the device entered service in 2004 in the French navy and enjoyed late export success. Of the 453 new aircraft ordered at this stage, 261 have been ordered by seven foreign customers (in addition to the three Middle Eastern countries, these are Greece, Croatia, Indonesia and India), and 192 by France.