UAE Fighter Deal Leads Rafale’s Global Resurgence

Dassault Aviation has enjoyed a resurgence in sales for the Rafale multirole fighter in recent years, with the UAE’s record-breaking deal for 80 upgraded combat aircraft leading a wave of international orders for the French manufacturer.

The UAE accepted delivery of its first Rafale in January during a ceremony attended by Emirati defense minister Mohammed bin Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei and his French counterpart, Sébastien Lecornu. That ceremony took place in Istres, France, where the two-seater remains for testing—a step that indicates the UAE’s aircraft may differ in equipment from the Standard F4 version of the Rafale that Dassault is building for other customers.

Valued at €16 billion ($18 billion), the UAE deal for the Rafale was sealed during a visit to Abu Dhabi by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2021—in the wake of the U.S. government’s refusal to sell the Lockheed Martin F-35 to the UAE on security grounds. Deliveries to the Air Force and Air Defence are expected to begin late next year.

According to the French defense ministry, the UAE deal represents the European country’s largest-ever weapons export contract. For Dassault, it represents the biggest jewel in a resurgence of international interest in the Rafale.

Egypt, India, and Qatar had ordered the type in 2015 and 2016, but it was not until 2020 that the next customer, Greece, was announced. Dassault added Croatia to its Rafale orderbook by the end of 2020, with the UAE following in 2021 and Indonesia in 2022. Serbia has also recently joined the ranks of Rafale customers, while the Indian Navy has selected the type to equip one of its carriers.

Together with France, the eight export customers have increased the current Rafale order book to 533. Dassault completed the 300th Rafale aircraft in early October, leaving 53 further units to be supplied to France and 180 for export plus further orders yet to be finalized.

New Cergy Factory Boosts Capacity

In 2021, Dassault began constructing a new manufacturing plant in Cergy, to the northwest of Paris. The facility is taking over operations previously carried out at the increasingly obsolete factory in Argenteuil and increasing capacity. The Cergy site began operations in mid-2024, and Dassault formally inaugurated the factory in September 2025.

At the Cergy plant, Dassault manufactures and produces subassemblies for both the Rafale and the Falcon business jet family. Work for the fighter line includes assembly and integration of Rafale fuselages, systems, and equipment. Final assembly remains at Mérignac near Bordeaux.

Cergy’s greater capacity supports a significant increase in Rafale production rate. In the early 2010s, the annual rate was nine or 10, but an expansion at Mérignac has permitted the rate to rise to the current figure of 25. Dassault plans to raise that number further to between 36 and 48, catering to the increased demand from new and existing customers.

Of the present opportunities, India represents the biggest potential sale. The Rafale is well-placed as a strong contender for the Indian Air Force’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) competition, which seeks 114 aircraft. 

In June, Dassault announced a deal with India’s Tata Advanced Systems covering the production of fuselage components. While this would include Tata in the construction of fuselages for the 26 aircraft now on order for the Indian Navy, it would also secure a significant—and perhaps larger—part for local industry if the Rafale was selected for the MRFA. Tata will also make fuselages for other customers.

Among those potential customers is Indonesia, which has signaled an intention to add to the 42 Rafales it has on order. Another emerging opportunity is Taiwan, which is seeking a replacement for its Mirage 2000 fleet, comprising 60 aircraft delivered in the early 1990s.

France Looks Ahead to the F5 Standard

Despite some speculation, it appears that the French military itself will not be buying more Rafales. Budget documents were released stating the acquisition of 286 Rafales for France, 61 more than the stated operational requirement. However, it was later clarified that the number included two aircraft already on order for delivery by 2030 as attrition replacements, as well as those exported to Croatia and Greece. 

France remains committed to operating 225 Rafales going forward, comprising 165 for the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (air and space force) and 40 Rafale Ms for the Marine Nationale (navy). From an expected entry-into-service date of 2030, the force will comprise Standard F5 aircraft with enhanced systems and sensors, improved stealth capabilities, and a range of other upgrades, including the ability to carry the AS4NG hypersonic nuclear missile. The upgrades will also allow the aircraft to interoperate seamlessly with the forthcoming Next Generation Fighter as part of the Franco/German/Spanish FCAS program.

Among the F5’s capabilities will be piloted-uncrewed aircraft teaming with a new stealthy UCAV (uncrewed combat air vehicle). Formally announced as part of the start of Standard F5 development in early October, the UCAV will likely draw heavily on the Dassault-led six-nation Neuron program, which resulted in a flight test program that began in late 2012 and has now achieved more than 170 sorties.