Year of
MILITARY RAFALE
A
s AIR International
went to press, every
indication was that
Dassault’s bid to
supply its Rafale
fighter to the UAE Air Force and
Air Defence (UAEAF and AD) was
close to success. A 60-aircraft
order would be good news for
any fighter manufacturer, but
coming on top of other good
news for Dassault and the Rafale
from India, the UAE buy would
help the programme gain even
greater momentum.
46 AI.04.12
India’s Faith
and Switzerland’s
High Score
On January 31, 2012, India
announced that the Rafale had
been selected as the lowest (L1)
bidder in the Medium Multi-
Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA)
competition for 126 Rafales.
Though this falls short of a
contract signature, it does pave
the way for just such a final
agreement, and it effectively
means the aircraft has been
selected to meet the MMRCA
requirement. In India, those
aircraft that passed the Indian Air
Force’s (IAF) technical evaluation
were shortlisted, and it was then
up to the Indian MoD to evaluate
the commercial bids and to
select an L1 bidder. There is still
the possibility of the planned
Indian Rafale procurement
collapsing, if the numbers don’t
add up, and there has already
been one small hiccough, when
two members of the contract
negotiation committee – who
concluded that Rafale was the
lowest bidder – refused to sign its
minutes. They complained that
certain assumptions had been
made about the Rafale bid to
declare it as the lowest bidder,
but that no one had validated
the assumptions. The two senior
MoD officials insisted on putting
written notes on the file before
signing it.
Though the Rafale lost out in
Switzerland, where selection of
the Gripen NG was announced
f Rafale?
First India, maybe the UAE, others could
follow. Could 2012 prove that the Dassault
Rafale is the world’s most wanted fighter?
Jon Lake reports

on November 30, 2011,
Switzerland did provide a useful
‘consolation prize’ to Dassault:
on the same day the Basler
Zeitung published extracts from
the Swiss Air Force’s evaluation
report, and these showed that
Rafale had been the air force’s
favoured choice. Then, on
February 12, 2012, the Swiss
Newspaper Le Matin published
more extensive extracts of the
superior technical efficiency in all
missions: air-to-air, air-to-ground
and reconnaissance. The 2008
Swiss report then went on to
evaluate the effect of planned
changes in the 2008-2015 period
(applying a weighting based on
perceived risk) and still found
the Rafale superior to the Gripen
and Typhoon. The Typhoon
team could take comfort only
in the report’s conclusion that
workload, but were stung by
conclusions that their aircraft
lagged behind the French fighter
because of less efficient sensors,
poor sensor fusion and inferior
ECM suite. The Gripen was
judged as not having managed
to reach the minimum expected
capabilities in most of the
assessed essential mission tasks.
Emirates
for a new fighter (currently the
largest near-term unfilled fighter
requirement) would be a major
coup for Dassault. There is little
prospect of local manufacture,
so all 60 aircraft would be
built at Argenteuil, near Paris,
(fuselage), Biarritz (aft fuselage
and tail), and Martignas, close
to Bordeaux, (where the wings
are assembled from elements
coming from Seclin), and the
Roberto Yáñez

air force’s evaluation, revealing their aircraft was superior in the aircraft would undergo final
that the Rafale had been the areas of aircraft performance, Winning the contract to meet assembly and flight testing
preferred aircraft because of its engagement success and pilot the UAE’s 60-aircraft requirement at Bordeaux-Mérignac. The

AI.04.12 47
 MILITARY RAFALE
UAE order would keep the
Rafale production lines open
for longer, and would allow the
company to manufacture at a
more economically viable rate,
even after production for India is
transferred to the sub-continent.
But winning in the UAE would
also provide an important
psychological boost for the Rafale
team, as the UAE’s long hunt for
a successor to its Mirage 2000-9s
has provided real disappointments
and setbacks (including very public
rejection and humiliation) to those
trying to sell the Rafale to the
Emirates. If the UAE now buys the
Rafale, this will validate people’s
confidence in the aircraft, and will
help heal the wounds inflicted
earlier in the campaign.
The UAE needs to replace its
Mirage 2000-9s and the long-range
cruise missile capability they provide
using the Black Shaheen missile (a
variant of the MBDA Scalp/Storm
Shadow). For some years, this
seemed to make the Rafale the
UAE’s only option, as the United
States was thought unlikely to allow
the integration of similar weapons
on aircraft that it supplied (due to
Israeli objections), while Typhoon’s
stand-off missile capability seemed
too far in the future.
The UAE’s interest in the Rafale
dates back to the mid-1990s,
when the French fighter competed
with the Block 60 F-16E/F Desert
Falcon to meet a UAE requirement.
Both aircraft were shortlisted in
September 1996, though Rafale
eventually lost out to the F-16
two years later. But the F-16E/F
48 AI.04.12
could not meet all UAE fighter
requirements, not least because
weapons like Black Shaheen
could not be integrated for mostly
political reasons. This made it
inevitable that the UAE would seek
a non-American fighter to augment
its Desert Falcons.
No formal requirement
was drawn up, and there was
no competitive evaluation of
alternative aircraft. Instead, in
June 2008 French President
Nicolas Sarkozy simply
announced that the UAE was
interested in acquiring Rafale.
Because there had been no
requirement, and because
the UAE had apparently not
looked at any alternatives,
many assumed that the UAE
Rafale purchase was a ‘done
deal’, but as time passed, it
became clear that the Rafale
plan had run into difficulties. possibly when there has been had proposed limiting
It has long been reported
that the UAE requires a more
advanced version of the Rafale
than the current Armée de
l’Air model. Specifically, it wanted
more powerful engines, a better
radar, a helmet-mounted sight and
a dual-channel electro-optical/FLIR
package, as well as a better laser
designator pod than Damocles.
The leaked Swiss evaluation
identified that there would be ’11
new modifications’ if the Rafale
were to be sold to the UAE.
But after its experience with
the Block 60 F-16, the UAE is
believed to be unwilling to act as
the launch customer (and guinea
pig) for any untried, ‘unique-to-
the-UAE’ variant of a fighter, and
Henri-Pierre Grolleau
Roberto Yáñez
is unwilling to fund the required
improvements. The deal was
also being complicated by the
UAE’s expectation that Dassault
would buy back its Mirage 2000-
9s for resale, and by Dassault’s
unwillingness to do so until it had
a customer for these aircraft –
something that it found hard to
achieve despite negotiations with
a number of potential purchasers,
including Egypt and Brazil, and
more recently Libya.
Up and Down
in the Emirates
By February 2010 the Rafale deal
was mired, and while the UAE
Air Force and Air Defence, and
French negotiators continued
to work together to try to
a ‘shoo in’ for the Rafale, but that
overcome the difficulties that
a real competition, with a genuine
stood in the way of the Rafale
evaluation of alternatives, seemed
deal, the UAE began looking at
to be under way.
other alternatives. There were
Paul Oliver, Boeing’s Vice
brief talks with Lockheed Martin
President for International
concerning a possible Emirati buy
Business Development in the
of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,
Middle East and Africa told AIR
and in September 2010 the UAE
International he believed that the
requested information on the
UAE was “seriously looking at
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from
other options,” and was not just
Boeing. It has subsequently
expressing interest in the Boeing
emerged that this marked only the
and Eurofighter alternatives in
beginning of UAE negotiations
order to pressure the French into
with Boeing, centred on the Super
bettering the Rafale bid.
Hornet and the advanced F-15SE
Things got worse for Dassault
Silent Eagle. Negotiations with
when Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed
Lockheed Martin on the supply of
Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu
further F-16s were also initiated.
Dhabi and Deputy Commander-
The United States has reportedly
in-Chief of the UAE Armed Force,
undertaken to integrate the
used his visit to the Dubai air show
SLAM-ER missile and BLU-109
to launch a scathing attack
on Dassault, which, he
Swiss Defence Minister Ueli Maurer said, seemed: “Regrettably
unaware that all the
confirmed his government would look diplomatic and political
at any new concrete offer from Dassault, will in the world cannot
explaining that: overcome uncompetitive
“We only have a deal with and unworkable commercial
terms.”
Sweden when the parliament Soon afterwards it
has given the funding, and emerged that the General
Staff of the UAE Air Force
its future fighter plans to
a referendum,” the F-15, F-16 and the
Eurofighter Typhoon,
apparently dropping
bunker-busting bombs on any US the Rafale from consideration
fighter selected by the UAE, and altogether.
may also have agreed to integrate
the Black Shaheen, too. French Persistence
Reports of a possible
breakthrough in the Rafale Behind the scenes, though,
negotiations in September 2011 contacts between the UAE and
proved too optimistic, and in the French side continued. In the
November 2011, on the eve of the wake of India’s selection of the
Dubai Air show, it was revealed Rafale, Dassault and the French
that the UAE had issued a request government presented a new offer
for proposals covering the supply to the UAE, making unspecified
of the Eurofighter Typhoon on changes to its previous commercial
October 17, 2011. It was clear that bid, presumably bettering its price,
not only was this not going to be and perhaps agreeing to some of
 RAFALE MILITARY

the upgrades demanded by the Qatar, which has the fastest- de Chasse 1/2 ‘Cigognes’, which Dassault maintained that a fleet
UAE. growing economy in the world, operates the similar Mirage of 18 Rafales would be equivalent
French newspaper La Tribune and the world’s highest per 2000-5F. Initially, the Qataris flew in operational efficiency to a
claimed that the deal could be capita GDP. Qatar is increasingly in mixed pairs with the French 22-aircraft Gripen fleet. In addition
finalised in early March, while asserting itself on the wider Mirages, but soon began flying the French offer includes the
France’s Air & Cosmos magazine world stage, initially by acting as their own missions independently. possible use of French simulators,
has also reported that all of the a mediator in regional conflicts, Many believe that the links forged training areas and ranges, as
technical and financials terms of the and by promoting peace in the during the Libyan operation have well as ‘unlimited access’ to
Rafale sale to the UAE have now region and beyond. Qatar has dramatically improved Dassault’s French air bases, and access to
been settled, and a contract could subsequently stepped up its chances of selling the Rafale French AWACS data and Helios
be signed in March or early April. efforts in the field of humanitarian to Qatar, or even that Qatar’s reconnaissance satellite output.
Despite these reports, BAE assistance and relief, and more competition is now effectively a The Swiss Defence Minister Ueli
Systems is known to be continuing recently by participating in one-horse race. Maurer confirmed his government
to work with the UAE on its military actions undertaken by Dassault is also hoping to would look at any concrete offer
Eurofighter Typhoon offer, and international coalitions. sell its fighter in Brazil, Malaysia from Dassault, explaining that:
UK industry sources were quick to Qatar’s military participated in and Kuwait, and the company “We only have a deal with Sweden
sound a cautionary note, pointing operations over Libya last year is pursuing other, longer-term when the parliament has given the
out that while success in India has under Operation Odyssey Dawn, requirements. Dassault is looking funding, and possibly when there
improved Dassault’s morale, and with five of the Qatar Air Force’s again at the possibility of a sale in has been a referendum.”
may have unlocked funding for nine single-seat Mirage 2000- Switzerland, making a new CHF The crumb of comfort for
some much-needed modifications EDAs and one of its three Mirage 2.7 billion offer for 18 Rafales on Eurofighter and Saab is that
and upgrades, the UAE is 2000-5DA two-seaters deploying January 19, 2012. This follow- the evaluations that resulted in
continuing to gather information to the air base at Souda Bay on up offer is cheaper than Saab’s the Swiss report and the Indian
on all alternatives. the Greek island of Crete. Here price for 22 Gripen NG fighters, decision were carried out in
But even if the UAE order they were based alongside a with the Rafale unit price only 6% 2008, and in the four years since
slips through Dassault’s fingers, four-aircraft contingent from the more expensive than each of the then, their own offerings have
2012 will still be a good year French Armée de l’Air’s Groupe 22 Gripens. significantly improved.
for the company, having been
marked by the historic first export
order for the Rafale, and by the
fortuitous leaking of a Swiss
report that appeared to validate
Dassault’s claims for the fighter,
while simultaneously providing
a real setback to the company’s
main European rivals in the fighter
market.
And we’re still less than one
quarter into the year. It remains
to be seen whether the Indian
order (and the real chance of the
UAE becoming a second export
customer) will lead other potential
customers to follow that lead, and
if so, whether such buyers might
show their hands this year.

Qatar, Brazil
and Malaysia
Roberto Yáñez

The next target for Rafale’s

marketing gurus is almost certainly
the oil-rich Gulf sheikhdom of