UAE Getting Rafales and Selling its Mirage-2000-9s

[shehbazi2001]

Sorry in the title it went wrong but its Mirage-2000-9, not Mirage-2005-9.

UAE is considering to buy Rafales and is looking to sell its Mirage-2000-9s with the help of Dassault.
First thing is that why UAE needs to replace such a capable fighter and secondly is UAE in competition with Saudi who are going to buy Eurofighters. Thirdly, what PAF thinks of these high-tech birds, equipped with latest gadgets like MICAs,Damocles pod, special Recce pods, RDY-2 radars etc, if UAE is ready to sell them at a reduced price???? These are 63 Mirage-2000-9 birds......


UAE in talks to buy new generation of fighter jets - The National Newspaper

Middle East Online


From the Defense News - Breaking International Defense News

UAE Discussing Rafale Purchase with France
By pierre tran
Published: 5 Jun 17:03 EDT (13:03 GMT)

PARIS - Dassault Aviation is quietly confident that talks with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will lead to export sales of its Rafale, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said June 5 the UAE government was in discussions to buy the twin-engine fighter jet."They have always kept their word," a Dassault executive said. A contract could be signed early in 2009.

About 10 months elapsed after then-French President Jacques Chirac and UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan announced an agreement for Abu Dhabi to buy 32 Mirage 2000-9 aircraft. A deal was signed in 2008.

The United Arab Emirates flew the Mirage 3 before buying the Mirage 2000-9. That showed the UAE air force consistently updated its fighter fleet, the executive said. The country's military also operates the F-16 Block 60 from Lockheed Martin. The UAE Air Force is looking to replace its 63 Mirage 2000-9s.

Qatar operates the Mirage 2000, making it a sales prospect, as the Qatari government sees Saudi Arabia buying Eurofighter Typhoons and the UAE upgrading with Rafales. "There's a lot of activity," the executive said.

Talks also were on track for a planned purchase of 14 Rafales by Libya as part of a memorandum of understanding that expires around the middle of this year. The agreement covers aircraft, weapons and service support.

Foreign sales of Rafales would go a long way to meeting French Defense Minister Hervé Morin's hopes of $7 billion in arms exports this year. Greece is seen as a prospect for sales of the FREMM multi-mission frigate, as is Saudi Arabia, which is also a strong prospect for sales of the NH90 transport helicopter.

 

[sodocpkgj]

mirage 2000 is a really good option and should be considered

 

[Owais]

UAE mirages are good option for IAF, not for PAF!. I think F-16E/F form them should be the best choice for PAF.

 

[shehbazi2001]

As the weapons choice for the Rafale is the same as Mirage-2000-9, I think that UAE "may" not sell the weapons with the birds. And the client may buy only the airframes. Yet still its good for the customers, who can demand to reduce the price per a/c further and then they can buy the weapons of their own choice from France.

As Indian AF is integrating british ASRAAM with its Mirage-2000Hs, it shall also be possible for a client to do so. It was to begin in 2007, but I dont know if integration is complete by now.

 

[blain2]

I do not think the UAE is looking to get rid of the Mirage 2000s. They have plenty of life left and are a very good platform to remain in service (however shortage of pilots may lead them to sell these off).

I also think that neither the PAF nor the IAF would be able to get these even if they tried. If UAE sold the aircraft to either country, the other would be pissed. Doubt that UAE wants to get into this controversy and will probably go the way of Qatar who decided not to sell to either India or Pakistan.

 

[IceCold]

It seems reasonable for IAF to acquire these birds since they operate mirage-2000. As for us we are already phasing mirages out with JF-17, i dont see any need why we should go for mirages again specially after the induction of JF-17 and FC-20.

 

[Neo]

mirage 2000 is a really good option and should be considered

No, its waste of time and money. JF-17 will be inducted soon and more F-16's are coming to replace Mirage III/V and J-7's.
FC-20 and possibly J-11 will be PAF's next hightech MRCA leaving no room for Mirage-2000/9.

 

[araz]

No, its waste of time and money. JF-17 will be inducted soon and more F-16's are coming to replace Mirage III/V and J-7's.
FC-20 and possibly J-11 will be PAF's next hightech MRCA leaving no room for Mirage-2000/9.

I agree . If you look at PAF 's plans, they will be inducting atleast 3 different platforms in next few years, ie F16 Block 52+,J10 and Thunder, that we know of. Why would they want to add a fourth aircraft which has already been replaced by its parent nation and is at the end of its developmental life, and which gives the PAF/?PN no advantage that these platforms do not. Also please remember, that atleast with the french Mirages which we have there has always been concerns about corrosion of the airframe in salty environments.
On another note of interest, HKhan on our sister forum hinted that if JF17 did not come along soon,PN might consider buying S3 Viking if the thunder did not come along soon . I dont know what to make of this , but HKhan is always a reliable source .
Araz

 

[x_man]

Due to its verstility , Lockheed S-3 Viking is also called the "Swiss Army Knife of Naval Aviation," remains one of the most successful designs in carrier aircraft history. It was primarily conceived for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), but it does so many things so well such as surface and mine warfare, electronic reconnaissance and analysis and aerial refulling.....

BUT....comapring S-3 with JF-17....is beyond my understanding....these two are totally different aircrafts....nothing similar betwteen them..

 

[fatman17]

I do not think the UAE is looking to get rid of the Mirage 2000s. They have plenty of life left and are a very good platform to remain in service (however shortage of pilots may lead them to sell these off).

I also think that neither the PAF nor the IAF would be able to get these even if they tried. If UAE sold the aircraft to either country, the other would be pissed. Doubt that UAE wants to get into this controversy and will probably go the way of Qatar who decided not to sell to either India or Pakistan.

its not that they dont want to sell the mirages, its the asking price. qatar was just asking too much. it wasnt worth the risk. there are plently of excess mirage-2000's available from the armee del air (french af). brazil brought 12 mirage 2000's upgraded for less than US$ 20m/per.

 

[araz]

Due to its verstility , Lockheed S-3 Viking is also called the "Swiss Army Knife of Naval Aviation," remains one of the most successful designs in carrier aircraft history. It was primarily conceived for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), but it does so many things so well such as surface and mine warfare, electronic reconnaissance and analysis and aerial refulling.....

BUT....comapring S-3 with JF-17....is beyond my understanding....these two are totally different aircrafts....nothing similar betwteen them..

Xman
The comparison was not made but it was hinted that to fill the interim Naval role Viking could be bought should the induction of Thunder be delayed.
WaSalam
Araz

 

[Neo]

BUT....comapring S-3 with JF-17....is beyond my understanding....these two are totally different aircrafts....nothing similar betwteen them..

IIRC Lockheed S-3B Viking has never been exported and the production line ceased to exist a long time ago. Its a very old and expensive platform mainly developped for Shipborne ASW and ECM (later added role Air Refuelling), a role PN's dedicated to P-3C Orion.
Subsonic Viking is totally differnt league, can't possibly be compared to the Thunder.

 

[Neo]

Lockheed S-3A Viking​

​

 

[sodocpkgj]

2 b honest,i dont think tht jf17s are gonna do any gud for paf.they shud buy more j10s and f16s +mirage 2000s

 

[Always Neutral]

2 b honest,i dont think tht jf17s are gonna do any gud for paf.they shud buy more j10s and f16s +mirage 2000s

Would appreciate a technical answer why you feel JF 17 is inferior ?

Regards