Qatar is set to sign a $7bn contract with France's Dassault Aviation to acquire 24 Rafale multirole fighter aircraft, amid increasing instability across the Middle East. The tiny country is ruled by Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
The contract is part of efforts to modernize defense capabilities of the country's air force. It will be signed on May 8 in the presence of French Republic President François Hollande in Doha.
Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Eric Trappier said: "This new success for the French team demonstrates the Rafale's operational qualities and confirms the confidence that countries that are already users of the Mirage 2000 have in our company…eleven planes will be delivered each year from mid-2018, with an option to buy 12 more planes.” According to a French Defense Ministry official, the contract will also cover supply of MBDA missiles, along with training of 36 Qatari pilots and 100 technicians by the French army. This agreement represents the third Rafale deal this year for Dassault. Last month, reports emerged that the Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to finalize a contract with Dassault for the acquisition of 36 Rafales by the end of this month. The Rafale program is supported by Dassault Aviation's partners Thales and Safran, along with 500 other companies. Rafale is a delta-wing multi-role jet fighter designed to conduct air-to-air combat, reconnaissance flights and nuclear bombing missions. It is powered by two SNECMA M88 engines. The aircraft is capable of carrying anti-ship, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. It has been in use with the French Navy and Air Force since 2004 and 2006, respectively.” (story furnished by the Dassault Aviation)
The unemployment in France is 10.6%. It was reported that President François Hollande is “cutting deals” to bolster his sagging popularity rating, re-election bid, and appear to provide jobs for the millions unemployed. Dassault Aviation, a subsidiary of Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault, sold a little more than 72 of the Rafale. The company has 11,745 Employees and manufacturers, including Rafale, an omnirole fighter aircraft; Mirage 2000 aircraft; and nEUROn. Gross Profit and Net Income have declined since 2011. According to Bloomberg News, “Airbus Group N.V. (ENXTPA:AIR) aims to oversee the complete sale of Airbus's 4.8 billion-euro stake in Dassault Aviation SA (ENXTPA:AM) by the end of 2015.”
The U.S. Air Force plans to buy a total of 1,763 F-35 conventional landing A-models through 2037. Other countries, Britain, Australia, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Canada,South Korea, Japan and Israel, have committed order for the Boeing F-35 Lightning II bringing the total to 3,100. The F-35 is outstanding in messing up the systems of adversaries and a true ISR stealth fighter. The Rafale is completely single sourced. It is currently in use by a single nation with maybe three others. Gatar is a very rich state that spends lavishly on technology that it can never use. The Economist stated, “With the expansion of LNG output complete, real GDP growth will slow to a still robust 5.9% in 2015-19 on the back of increased activity in the non-oil sectors. In preparation for stiff competition after 2015, the country will seek to diversify its customer base for LNG.” Gatar is known for agreeing to billion dollar projects then to see them cancelled based on the price of oil.