Egypt Airshow: Egypt eager for next batch of Rafales

Two additional contracts for a further 31 Rafales announced in May 2021, will bring the EAF’s total order to 55, made up of 27 Rafale EMs and 28 Rafale DMs.

Deliveries of these next batches will be to the F3R configuration, and should be completed by the end of 2027.

The F3R comes equipped with the RBE2 AESA radar and capable of using the MBDA Meteor long range air to air missile, but the extremely capable weapon will not be sold to Egypt because of US and Israeli fears it would ‘breach Israel’s Qualitative Edge’.

The current fleet of 24 Rafales is easily the most modern fighter in the Egyptian Air Force’s inventory, which also includes over 200 Lockheed Martin F-16s Block 40/42s and 50 Mikoyan MiG-29M/M2s.  The status of the 17 Mirage 2000EM/BMs, like so much operated by the EAF is unclear. 

The first Rafale order was made up of 16 dual-seat DMs and eight single-seat EMs, entered service in April 2017 and by March 2023 they had chalked up 10,000 flying hours flying with No 34 Squadron/203 Tactical Fighter Brigade at Gebel El Basur Air Base.

The deal paved the way for the rest of the French aerospace industry to get a slice of the action. Thales which has been in Egypt since 1982 has around 500 employees in several joint ventures. Egypt was also the first export customer for the Thales Talios multifunction targeting pod, which is expected to replace the Damocles on EAF Rafales. 

Safran in June 2015 announced that a contract with Egypt would cover all three versions of the AASM Hammer now in service: hybrid inertial/GPS guidance, inertial/GPS and terminal infrared guidance, and inertial/GPS plus laser terminal guidance.

While the AASM is in EAF service it’s unclear which derivatives are operational. While MBDA has sold the Mica IR/RF air to air missiles and SCALP EG stand-off weapon to Egypt to arm the Rafales. The supply of the latter was hindered by ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and delayed an additional batch of aircraft, until a solution was found in February 2021.