Paris (AFP) – The sale of 24 Rafale to Egypt, concluded in record time to meet the immediate needs of the country, timely Dassault and France, who drop their first contract for this flagship aircraft .
But it makes some teeth gnashing in respect of sale of military equipment to a regime denounced as “very repressive”.
“With Egypt, it was very quickly, “said the president, Francois Hollande. “First, because Egypt wanted an airplane high quality” and “quickly in view of the threats that exist around the country,” he added, noting the importance of stability in Cairo the region.
Faced on its eastern flank to attacks by jihadists linked to the Islamic State Group (EI), on its western flank to the situation in Libya, Cairo needs to have a plane experienced combat.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, told his French interlocutors willingness to go fast.
According to the Egyptian General Ahmed Abdelhalim retirement, the Egyptian armed forces need to improve and diversify their arms.
“Egypt needs the new Rafale to achieve its objectives” defense in terms of response capacity and range, told AFP the former head of the National Security Committee of the Egyptian Parliament.
“This negotiation was very fast, it started in late November,” said the CEO of Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier on RTL.
Paris has made “a number of efforts” on funding, said Mr. Holland, stating that “in the present context, it is very important that Egypt to act for stability and be safe “,” not only on its soil but also stability in the region. “
” Security was also necessary in light of the common border (of Egypt) with Libya and the fight against terrorism, and in light of what is also happening in Sinai, “he added.
For Dassault, that first sale was awaited to ensure the pace of the chain of production of the device.
For the French government also, while the defense budget, which includes a long list of equipment to be acquired profit of hosts, is tense and relies on the sale of the unit export
-. First deliveries this year –
It also helps break several disappointments Export and hope to convince other potential customers of the Rafale.
The device, now proven in combat proven in operation, particularly in Libya in 2011, where he was the first to operate over Benghazi and Tripoli, and in Mali in 2013.
Today, nine Rafale are engaged in Iraq to fight against EI.
This demonstrates “the ability of a fighter,” said Eric Trappier. “He has been involved in numerous theaters and observers are all countries of the region in particular could see operational efficiency at the hands of the army of the French air.”
He believes that “this sale to a large Arab country is going to snowball.” Among them, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia in the longer term.
Eric Trappier also optimistic about the sale of 126 Rafale with India, with which Dassault exclusive negotiations since 2012, but whose complexity retards conclusion.
The details of the contract of 5.2 billion euros with Egypt was not disclosed. It also includes a FREMM frigate built by DCNS naval group and missiles manufactured by MBDA.
The signing is scheduled for Monday in Cairo in the presence of Minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian and the first deliveries this year, with three units taken from the chains for the French army, the rest being provided from 2018.
As for the frigate, it is the FREMM “Normandie” which will be deducted from the contingent to the Navy.
This sale was reacted Emmanuelle Cosse, national secretary of EELV, which surprised the “priority” given by Egypt to purchase of these had seen “the economic and social problems in which it is an Egypt that, she recalled, there is a week did not hesitate to shoot at demonstrators.”
Even before the announcement of the agreement, Amnesty International had called Paris France to “suspend all transfers of arms” to Egypt because of the “repression, unprecedented in 30 years” in the country.
“There is a lack of coherence, a strategy of double standards,” lamented Didier Billion, of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS), referring to the contract suspension (1.2 billion euro) sale of Mistral warships to Russia, because of the conflict in Ukraine.
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