The UAE announced the inauguration of the first Dassault Rafale F4 fighter jet. The jet will remain at Dassault’s Flight Test Center to perform flight tests.
This first F4 Rafale, a twin-seat aircraft (tail number 1101) for the UAE, was produced in line with the contract schedule given the first deliveries to the UAE Air Force & Air Defence scheduled at the end of 2026, Dassault Aviation said. UAE acquires 80 “omnirole” Rafale F4 Fighter Jets. The number of aircraft in the initial batch was not stated, although past deliveries to export clients ranged between four and six Rafales.
The launch ceremony was held in Paris in the presence of Mohamed bin Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Sebastien Lecornu, French Defence Minister, several senior officials and officers from the Ministry of Defence, along with high-ranking representatives from both sides, UAE national news agency WAM reported.
UAE was eager to require the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. President Donald Trump had formerly convinced Israel to consent in return for the sale of F-22 to this country. The sale option was cancelled under the Biden administration. It is unknown whether the Gulf state would recall the four-year earlier decision with President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
