Franco-German Fighter Jet Is A Bad Idea, Expert Suggests

In December 2021, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered 80 Rafale fighter jets worth $16 billion from the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation—both a record UAE arms purchase and a record French arms sale, Richard Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, wrote for Foreign Policy.

Photo Insert: A Dassault Rafale making an ascent

While Abu Dhabi still hopes to purchase 50 somewhat more advanced US F-35s as part of a $23 billion arms deal with the United States, it only makes sense that the UAE would want a second source for combat jets—especially from France.

Nations that import arms in conflict-fraught regions want to keep their militaries operating in the event of potential arms embargoes, and France offers two strong selling points: A valuable strategic relationship and a low risk of cutting off weapons support.

But the UAE Rafale buy—and other Rafale sales, including last week’s sale to Indonesia—raises questions about a nascent plan for France’s participation in its first-ever multinational fighter jet program: the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a joint Franco-German plan to create a next-generation advanced combat aircraft that would enter production around 2040, after the Rafale has become outdated.

The FCAS project now also includes Spain, which will play a relatively small role compared with the two founding partners. Paris would be rewarded with greater profits and fewer headaches by going it alone, Aboulafia argued.

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