Although the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) traditionally relies on fighter aircraft of American or British origin, Germany’s veto of London’s sale of at least 48 Eurofighter Typhoons and strained relations with the Biden administration prompted Riyadh to ask Dassault for a price quotation for the eventual purchase of 54 Rafale fighters.
L’Arabie saoudite prête à commander 54 Rafale à Dassault Aviation @Dassault_OnAir @Elysee @Armees_Gouv @SebLecornu @DGA @echiva @KSAembassyFRA @DefenceHQ @BMVg_Bundeswehr @AJPAE @AJDPresse https://t.co/ucwctqwvBo via @latribune
— CABIROL MICHEL (@MCABIROL) October 23, 2023
According to well-informed sources consulted by La Tribune Dimanche, Saudi Arabia made an official request to Dassault Aviation to send it a budgeted proposal for the acquisition of 54 Rafale. The French manufacturer has until November 10 to respond.
This information was confirmed Monday by French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu during a press conference:
“Yes, there are discussions, but as is always the case with these types of discussions and commercial relations between a company in the French defense industrial and technological base and a foreign sovereign state, it is not up to the Minister to comment in the press on what may be discussed here or there.”
French fighters to lift the German blockade?
The Royal Saudi Air Force has in its inventory 72 Eurofighter Typhoon fighters sold by the United Kingdom in 2007 and for years they have been looking to place a second batch of 48 units, but this deal has been systematically blocked by Berlin due to the war in Yemen (2015) and then the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi (2018), which led to great diplomatic tension between these three countries.
Over time, this thorny situation pushed Saudi Arabia to look at other suppliers for the modernization of its Air Force, focusing its interest on the French fighter. It is already operating in neighboring Qatar and was acquired in large numbers (80 units) by the United Arab Emirates, with whom it has a close strategic partnership, which would facilitate an eventual adoption of the Rafale by the RSAF.
See also: Qatar plans to upgrade and expand its Rafale fighter fleet
However, in France don´t want to get their hopes up because they fear that this whole affair is nothing more than a maneuver to put pressure on Germany and finally get them to lift the veto, so as not to lose this important contract, for which the German defense industry is also lobbying.
According to La Tribune, the Germans would be willing to soften their stance on the Typhoon if Riyadh would intervene on behalf of the German hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Especially since Berlin welcomed the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran (a success of Chinese diplomacy, which did not go down well in Washington), which has already had repercussions in the Yemen conflict.
