Aviation

Why did the UAE place the largest Rafale order?

Why is there no two-seater Rafale variant for the naval version?

The UAE ordered 80 Rafale fighter jets and 12 military helicopters from France on Friday, bolstering economic and political ties with France through a 17 billion euro ($19.20 billion) arms purchase.

The largest-ever foreign sale of the French warplane was inked as French President Emmanuel Macron began a two-day trip to the Gulf, where he would also visit Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The UAE will become 6^th international operator of the Rafale aircraft. In 2018 Qatar is ordered 36 rafael aircraft as of now February 2020, 25 were delivered.

The Rafale order is the largest placed for the aircraft on a global scale since it entered service in 2004.

By purchasing the Dassault Rafales, the UAE is following in the footsteps of Gulf rival Qatar, which has purchased 36 of the planes, and Egypt, which ordered 24 in 2015 and 30 earlier this year.

The F4 model planes will be delivered beginning in 2027, after a €2-billion development programme that is expected to be completed in 2024.

It is the biggest bulk purchase of the Dassault-made Rafale, other than by the French army, and comes after deals in Greece, Egypt and Croatia this year.

12 Caracal helicopters were also ordered by Abu Dhabi. It’s the French code name for the H225M, the Super Puma’s multirole military version.

The Rafale will replace the Mirage 2000 fleet, but it is unlikely to replace the American-built F-35, according to defense sources, as the UAE continues to hedge its security with two key suppliers, France and the United States.

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Nonetheless, the agreement might be interpreted as a sign of impatience as the US Congress considers whether or not to approve an F-35 purchase due to worries about the UAE’s relationship with China, notably the country’s use of Huawei 5G technology.

“Despite the UAE’s main role in the atrocity-plagued military operations spearheaded by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, France is proceeding with these purchases,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement. “The French president should condemn the breaches of human rights in these three countries.”

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Because of the fight in Yemen between a Saudi-led coalition and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, which has turned into one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, Paris has been under increasing pressure to reconsider its military supplies.

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Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.