Dassault Aviation: UAE to buy 80 Rafale fighters from France 
The UAE will buy a record number of Rafale fighters from France, Dassault Aviation reports. In July, the head of the Rostec state corporation Sergey Chemezov called this French aircraft an analogue of the promising Su-75.
The corresponding contract, involving the supply of 80 fighters, was signed in the presence of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Muhammad bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyani and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“This contract, which is the largest ever awarded by the French military aviation industry, consolidates a national industrial base that is undoubtedly unique in Europe “- said the CEO of Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier.
According to The Drive, the total contract value is $ 16 billion, and the first Rafale should arrive in 2024.
The publication notes that initially, the UAE wanted to buy American fifth-generation fighters F-35 Lightning II, which the United States did not dare to do because of the position of Israel, as well as the cooperation of Abu-D abi with Beijing. The Drive recalls that Russia had previously offered the UAE cooperation in the creation of a fifth-generation Su-75 single-engine fighter.
In November, Defense Blog, citing Dassault Aviation, reported that Croatia had signed a contract for the purchase of 12 Rafale fighters, which will replace the Soviet MiG-21.