Dassault has officially delivered the first of 36 Rafale fighters for the Qatari Emiri Air Force.
Dassault Aviation has officially delivered the first Rafale fighter for the Qatari Emiri Air Force.
The delivery ceremony was held at Dasault's Merignac facility on 6th February under the patronage of His Excellency Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs.
The first Rafale delivery, on schedule, comes after the signature in May 2015 of the contract for the acquisition by the State of Qatar of 24 Rafales, followed by an additional 12 in December 2017, for a total of 36 aircraft.
Under the terms of this contract, a large group of Qatari pilots and technicians are being trained in France by the French Air Force and French industry.
Qatar is one of three export customers for the French combat aircraft, alongside Egypt (24 aircraft) and India (36).
The order is the latest in the country's combat aircraft spending spree in recent years. In addition to the Rafale, Qatar has ordered 36 Boeing F-15s and 24 Eurofighter Typhoons.