France delivers new Rafale F3R fighter jets to Egypt strengthening its Middle East influence
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Dassault Aviation has begun delivering Egypt’s second batch of Rafale F3R multirole fighters, part of a second contract for 30 new aircraft to supplement the 24 previously received under the 2015 deal.
As reported by Egypt’s achievements on October 9, 2025, Dassault Aviation has entered the active delivery phase of Egypt’s second Rafale procurement, following the 2021 contract covering 30 F3R-standard fighters valued at approximately €3.75 billion. The ongoing deliveries, which began in late 2024, include both single-seat EM and dual-seat DM variants produced at Dassault’s Mérignac facility in France. The new aircraft join the 24 Rafales delivered between 2015 and 2017, expanding Egypt’s operational inventory under the 203rd Tactical Fighter Wing to 54 aircraft once all deliveries are complete in 2026.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
By the time deliveries conclude in 2026, Egypt will operate the largest Rafale fleet outside France, with 54 aircraft standardized to the F3R standard. (Picture source: Will Boy via X/Idtsits)
The latest units, including the single-seat aircraft EM10 and EM11 and the dual-seat DM21, have been observed arriving in Egypt after flight tests conducted in France, succeeding the earlier EM09 that left Dassault’s Mérignac facility in late 2024. Two additional aircraft, DM18 and DM19, were undergoing pre-delivery evaluations in April 2025, indicating a steady production rate. Deliveries began near the end of 2024 and are planned to conclude in 2026, bringing Egypt’s total Rafale fleet to 54 operational aircraft, with one extra airframe later added as a replacement for a lost aircraft, increasing total production under Egyptian contracts to 55 units. Acceptance procedures and ferry flights continue from France in sequential groups, under coordination between Dassault, Safran, and the Egyptian Air Force.
Egypt’s procurement of the Rafale fighter began on February 16, 2015, when Cairo signed a $5.9 billion package covering 24 aircraft, a FREMM multipurpose frigate, and associated munitions. The first delivery took place in July 2015 with three Rafale DM aircraft diverted from the French Air Force, allowing Egypt to field the aircraft at the inauguration of the Suez Canal expansion the following month. Deliveries proceeded in batches, including the first EM variant in April 2017 and a fifth batch of three EM aircraft in November 2017, giving Egypt 14 aircraft in service by the end of that year.
The 2021 order for 30 Rafale F3R aircraft, valued at around €3.75 billion, was financed through a ten-year loan guaranteed up to 85 percent by the French state, and included additional contracts with MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense worth approximately €200 million. The deal followed the cancellation of Egypt’s planned Su-35 acquisition from Russia. Egypt’s Rafales are operated by the 203rd Tactical Fighter Wing, assigned to the 34th and 36th Tactical Fighter Squadrons based at Gebel El Basur Air Base, and were first used operationally in May 2017 during an airstrike in Libya. The Egyptian Air Force surpassed 10,000 Rafale flight hours in March 2023 and is expected to sign a €300 million maintenance agreement with France. No new aircraft or naval contracts were signed during the April 2025 French presidential visit to Cairo.
The Rafale F3R, which represents the current operational standard of the Rafale, was qualified by France’s Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) on October 31, 2018, and approved for full operational use on March 8, 2021, by the Chiefs of Staff of the Navy and the Air and Space Force. This configuration introduced several significant system upgrades, including the Thales RBE2 active electronically scanned array radar, the MBDA Meteor long-range air-to-air missile, and the TALIOS electro-optical pod for high-resolution targeting and moving-object tracking. The F3R also integrated the laser-guided variant of the Safran AASM Hammer air-to-ground weapon, enhanced the Spectra electronic warfare suite, and added an automatic ground collision avoidance system. Additional improvements included reinforced protection against GPS jamming, faster decision loops, an upgraded maintenance diagnostic system, and an improved in-flight refueling capability through the NARANG pod for naval variants, which has been validated for both A400M refueling and “buddy” refueling operations with E-2D Hawkeye aircraft.
The Rafale F3R measures approximately 15.3 meters in length, 10.9 meters in wingspan, and 5.3 meters in height, with an empty weight near 10 tonnes and a maximum takeoff weight of 24.5 tonnes. It is powered by two Snecma M88-2 turbofan engines generating 50 kN of thrust each in afterburner, allowing a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 and a service ceiling of about 18,000 meters. The airframe is designed for agility through a delta-canard configuration and fly-by-wire flight control system. Fourteen hardpoints, including five wet points, allow the carriage of up to 9.5 tonnes of external stores, supplemented by internal fuel of approximately 4.7 tonnes and external tanks adding up to 6.7 tonnes. The aircraft’s avionics operate on an integrated modular architecture featuring a modular data processing unit that enables real-time sensor fusion across the radar, electro-optical systems, and electronic warfare suite. The cockpit features a wide-angle head-up display, multiple color multifunction screens, and HOTAS controls compatible with night vision equipment, while the configuration is available in single-seat EM or dual-seat DM layouts.
The Rafale F3R’s armament suite includes both air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions, designed to support multirole missions. For air combat, it can employ the MBDA Meteor for beyond-visual-range engagements and the MICA IR and EM missiles for medium-range interception, with configurations supporting mixed loadouts depending on mission profiles. The air-to-ground inventory includes the SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missile, the AASM Hammer precision-guided bombs, and various GBU-series laser-guided munitions, while the AM39 Exocet supports maritime strike operations. For strategic missions, the Rafale remains capable of carrying the ASMP-A nuclear missile in French service. A 30 mm GIAT 30M791 cannon is integrated internally, with a firing rate of around 2,500 rounds per minute. Reconnaissance missions are supported through the AREOS pod, while the TALIOS system adds real-time tracking and identification capacity. These combined systems provide the F3R with a broad mission envelope while maintaining interoperability across air, land, and maritime theaters.
During Exercise Heifara Wakea between June 20 and 23, 2021, three Rafale F3R aircraft, supported by two Boeing C-135FR Stratotankers, two Airbus A330 MRTT Phénix, and two A400M Atlas transports, flew a 16,850-kilometer route from Mont-de-Marsan to Tahiti in 39 hours, with a stop at Travis Air Force Base in California. The mission demonstrated the fighter’s endurance and air refueling capability across multiple tanker types, reinforcing its capacity for long-distance deployments. The same aircraft later participated in further training activities in French Polynesia and joint exercises in Hawaii with F-22A aircraft from the U.S. Air National Guard before returning to France via Langley Air Force Base. The flight validated extended operations in multiple time zones and climates and verified interoperability among French Air and Space Force assets.
By the time deliveries conclude in 2026, Egypt will operate the largest Rafale fleet outside France, with 54 aircraft standardized to F3R configuration. Dassault Aviation continues to conduct flight testing and acceptance procedures at Mérignac, while production aligns with Egypt’s delivery timeline and ongoing French fleet upgrades. The Egyptian Air Force’s Rafale program demonstrates integration of Western avionics, weapons, and maintenance systems into its operational framework, with future compatibility toward the Rafale F4 standard. France began introducing the F4 standard in 2022, featuring advanced data connectivity, helmet-mounted displays, the new MICA NG missile, predictive maintenance systems, and new software architecture.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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Dassault Aviation has begun delivering Egypt’s second batch of Rafale F3R multirole fighters, part of a second contract for 30 new aircraft to supplement the 24 previously received under the 2015 deal.
As reported by Egypt’s achievements on October 9, 2025, Dassault Aviation has entered the active delivery phase of Egypt’s second Rafale procurement, following the 2021 contract covering 30 F3R-standard fighters valued at approximately €3.75 billion. The ongoing deliveries, which began in late 2024, include both single-seat EM and dual-seat DM variants produced at Dassault’s Mérignac facility in France. The new aircraft join the 24 Rafales delivered between 2015 and 2017, expanding Egypt’s operational inventory under the 203rd Tactical Fighter Wing to 54 aircraft once all deliveries are complete in 2026.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
By the time deliveries conclude in 2026, Egypt will operate the largest Rafale fleet outside France, with 54 aircraft standardized to the F3R standard. (Picture source: Will Boy via X/Idtsits)
The latest units, including the single-seat aircraft EM10 and EM11 and the dual-seat DM21, have been observed arriving in Egypt after flight tests conducted in France, succeeding the earlier EM09 that left Dassault’s Mérignac facility in late 2024. Two additional aircraft, DM18 and DM19, were undergoing pre-delivery evaluations in April 2025, indicating a steady production rate. Deliveries began near the end of 2024 and are planned to conclude in 2026, bringing Egypt’s total Rafale fleet to 54 operational aircraft, with one extra airframe later added as a replacement for a lost aircraft, increasing total production under Egyptian contracts to 55 units. Acceptance procedures and ferry flights continue from France in sequential groups, under coordination between Dassault, Safran, and the Egyptian Air Force.
Egypt’s procurement of the Rafale fighter began on February 16, 2015, when Cairo signed a $5.9 billion package covering 24 aircraft, a FREMM multipurpose frigate, and associated munitions. The first delivery took place in July 2015 with three Rafale DM aircraft diverted from the French Air Force, allowing Egypt to field the aircraft at the inauguration of the Suez Canal expansion the following month. Deliveries proceeded in batches, including the first EM variant in April 2017 and a fifth batch of three EM aircraft in November 2017, giving Egypt 14 aircraft in service by the end of that year.
The 2021 order for 30 Rafale F3R aircraft, valued at around €3.75 billion, was financed through a ten-year loan guaranteed up to 85 percent by the French state, and included additional contracts with MBDA and Safran Electronics & Defense worth approximately €200 million. The deal followed the cancellation of Egypt’s planned Su-35 acquisition from Russia. Egypt’s Rafales are operated by the 203rd Tactical Fighter Wing, assigned to the 34th and 36th Tactical Fighter Squadrons based at Gebel El Basur Air Base, and were first used operationally in May 2017 during an airstrike in Libya. The Egyptian Air Force surpassed 10,000 Rafale flight hours in March 2023 and is expected to sign a €300 million maintenance agreement with France. No new aircraft or naval contracts were signed during the April 2025 French presidential visit to Cairo.
The Rafale F3R, which represents the current operational standard of the Rafale, was qualified by France’s Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) on October 31, 2018, and approved for full operational use on March 8, 2021, by the Chiefs of Staff of the Navy and the Air and Space Force. This configuration introduced several significant system upgrades, including the Thales RBE2 active electronically scanned array radar, the MBDA Meteor long-range air-to-air missile, and the TALIOS electro-optical pod for high-resolution targeting and moving-object tracking. The F3R also integrated the laser-guided variant of the Safran AASM Hammer air-to-ground weapon, enhanced the Spectra electronic warfare suite, and added an automatic ground collision avoidance system. Additional improvements included reinforced protection against GPS jamming, faster decision loops, an upgraded maintenance diagnostic system, and an improved in-flight refueling capability through the NARANG pod for naval variants, which has been validated for both A400M refueling and “buddy” refueling operations with E-2D Hawkeye aircraft.
The Rafale F3R measures approximately 15.3 meters in length, 10.9 meters in wingspan, and 5.3 meters in height, with an empty weight near 10 tonnes and a maximum takeoff weight of 24.5 tonnes. It is powered by two Snecma M88-2 turbofan engines generating 50 kN of thrust each in afterburner, allowing a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 and a service ceiling of about 18,000 meters. The airframe is designed for agility through a delta-canard configuration and fly-by-wire flight control system. Fourteen hardpoints, including five wet points, allow the carriage of up to 9.5 tonnes of external stores, supplemented by internal fuel of approximately 4.7 tonnes and external tanks adding up to 6.7 tonnes. The aircraft’s avionics operate on an integrated modular architecture featuring a modular data processing unit that enables real-time sensor fusion across the radar, electro-optical systems, and electronic warfare suite. The cockpit features a wide-angle head-up display, multiple color multifunction screens, and HOTAS controls compatible with night vision equipment, while the configuration is available in single-seat EM or dual-seat DM layouts.
The Rafale F3R’s armament suite includes both air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions, designed to support multirole missions. For air combat, it can employ the MBDA Meteor for beyond-visual-range engagements and the MICA IR and EM missiles for medium-range interception, with configurations supporting mixed loadouts depending on mission profiles. The air-to-ground inventory includes the SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missile, the AASM Hammer precision-guided bombs, and various GBU-series laser-guided munitions, while the AM39 Exocet supports maritime strike operations. For strategic missions, the Rafale remains capable of carrying the ASMP-A nuclear missile in French service. A 30 mm GIAT 30M791 cannon is integrated internally, with a firing rate of around 2,500 rounds per minute. Reconnaissance missions are supported through the AREOS pod, while the TALIOS system adds real-time tracking and identification capacity. These combined systems provide the F3R with a broad mission envelope while maintaining interoperability across air, land, and maritime theaters.
During Exercise Heifara Wakea between June 20 and 23, 2021, three Rafale F3R aircraft, supported by two Boeing C-135FR Stratotankers, two Airbus A330 MRTT Phénix, and two A400M Atlas transports, flew a 16,850-kilometer route from Mont-de-Marsan to Tahiti in 39 hours, with a stop at Travis Air Force Base in California. The mission demonstrated the fighter’s endurance and air refueling capability across multiple tanker types, reinforcing its capacity for long-distance deployments. The same aircraft later participated in further training activities in French Polynesia and joint exercises in Hawaii with F-22A aircraft from the U.S. Air National Guard before returning to France via Langley Air Force Base. The flight validated extended operations in multiple time zones and climates and verified interoperability among French Air and Space Force assets.
By the time deliveries conclude in 2026, Egypt will operate the largest Rafale fleet outside France, with 54 aircraft standardized to F3R configuration. Dassault Aviation continues to conduct flight testing and acceptance procedures at Mérignac, while production aligns with Egypt’s delivery timeline and ongoing French fleet upgrades. The Egyptian Air Force’s Rafale program demonstrates integration of Western avionics, weapons, and maintenance systems into its operational framework, with future compatibility toward the Rafale F4 standard. France began introducing the F4 standard in 2022, featuring advanced data connectivity, helmet-mounted displays, the new MICA NG missile, predictive maintenance systems, and new software architecture.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
