Pictures present that deliveries of Rafales to the Egyptian Air Power resumed, with the nation planning a complete fleet of 54 plane.
Photographs appeared on-line on Nov. 26 present three of the Egyptian Air Power’s (EAF) Rafale fighters taxiing at Dassault Aviation’s facility in Mérignac, close to Bordeaux. One submit by ‘Philipe Amiel’ on X mentioned the three single-seat variants, with serials EM12, EM13 and EM14, had been being readied to fly to Egypt. There was no official assertion from Dassault, the Egyptian MoD or the EAF on the time of submitting this report.
The EAF is predicted to change into the second largest person of the Rafale after France, with a deliberate fleet of 54 jets, following the Could 2021 contract for 30 further plane. The service at present operates 24 Rafale fighters, not together with the contemporary deliveries which have taken place just lately.
One of many largest and best-equipped air forces amongst Arab nations, the EAF operates a big fleet of a number of varieties of plane. This consists of roughly over 200 F-16s, 46 Russian MiG-29M/M2 and round 20 Mirage 2000s.
Conducting complete workouts with China’s PLA Air Power – such the one which included refueling the MiG-29s from Y-20 tankers for the primary time – Egypt additionally exploits competing geopolitical pursuits to safe Western arms gross sales.
𝑬𝒈𝒚𝒑𝒕 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑩𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝑹𝒂𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑱𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭 𝑶𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓
Egypt has acquired one other batch of three Rafale fighter jets, carrying tail numbers EM12, EM13, and EM14, as a part of its 2021 contract for 30 Rafale… pic.twitter.com/1QxBwGoELZ
— International Protection Perception (@Defense_Talks) November 26, 2025
This mirrored in Egypt being accredited a $4.67 billion price package deal on Jul. 24, 2025, for 100 AMRAAM-ER (Prolonged Vary) missiles, 100 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAMs, 600 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II missiles, and 4 AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel radar techniques, amongst different gear.
Egyptian Rafale program
Egypt’s Rafale journey started on Feb. 16, 2015, following a $5.9 billion take care of France for twenty-four Rafale jets – its present operational fleet. In line with AIN, the composition is eight single-seat EMs and 16 two-seater DMs.
Between three to 6 plane had been delivered by July 2015 from French shares, to allow operations by the Suez Canal enlargement’s opening in August. By November 2017, the EAF acquired seven EMs, with subsequent deliveries finishing the fleet of 24.
An choice for 12 further models went unexercised. The present fleet of Rafales is operated by the 203rd Tactical Fighter Wing’s thirty fourth and thirty sixth Tactical Fighter Squadrons at Gebel el Basur Air Base, northwest of Cairo.
This train lasted 18 days, fairly longChina additionally introduced 1 KJ-500 & Z20KS (foldable + slot in Y20)Additionally practiced refueling w/ Egyptian Mig-29PLAAF was showcasing the way it does fight to Egyptians, together with possible satellite tv for pc ISRAlso confirmed it might probably deliver emergency provide anytime… pic.twitter.com/2DNOYrAtCr
— tphuang (@tphuang) Could 5, 2025
Early in Could 2021, Cairo signed a € 3.75 billion order with Dassault Aviation – together with separate contracts with weapons maker MBDA and engine producer Safran – for 30 F3R customary Rafales, bringing its complete future fleet to 54 plane. This makes the EAF the second-largest Rafale fleet after France.
This acquisition additionally offset a cancelled Su-35 purchase from Russia. Manufacturing delays and the lack of one airframe throughout testing slowed deliveries ana prompted Dassault to construct a alternative.
“[The Rafale contract with Egypt] demonstrates the satisfaction of the Egyptian authorities with the sleek execution of the primary contract. Lastly, it confirms the technological and operational excellence of the Rafale and its export success,” a Nov. 15, 2021 Dassault press launch mentioned.
🇪🇬 Egypt has acquired the second batch of Rafale F3R fighter jets from 🇫🇷 France, below the second contract signed in 2021 for 30 plane. #Egypt #France #Rafale #Protection #Aerospace #EgyptianAirForce #DassaultAviation pic.twitter.com/gATbrpZu6x
— International Protection Perception (@Defense_Talks) October 9, 2025
In line with Navy Africa, the Egyptian Air Power acquired its second batch of three Rafale F3R fighter jets in early October 2025. This batch included two single-seat EMs (EM10 and EM11) and one two-seat DM (DM21) which, following check flights in France, flew to Gebel El Basur Air Base.
One set of photographs from Oct. 9 confirmed DM21 and EM11 at Mérignac, with Phillipe Amiel counting three plane a day prior, on Oct. 8, saying they too had been destined for Egypt.
3 #Rafale en route pour l’Égypte. Décollage de Mérignac hier matin, tôt. Vincent Prince -Bordeaux Mérignac Spotters pic.twitter.com/dhcej92LP0
— Philippe AMIEL (@RafaleFan) October 8, 2025
“Transfers started late 2024 with EM09, progressed to DM18 and DM19 evaluations in April 2025, and now proceed in teams via 2026, coordinated by Dassault, Safran, and Egyptian crews,” MilitaryAfrica added. Thus, together with the brand new deliveries and the brand new Rafales seen at Dassault’s facility, Egypt’s fleet of the French fighter stands at 30-31 plane.
Underneath EAF service, as of March 2023, the Rafales have crossed 10,000 flight hours, the Egyptian MoD had introduced on the time.
Egyptian Air Power
The EAF in the meantime continued collaborating in drills with Western air forces all year long. A current video, shared by main protection journalist Babak Taghvaee confirmed a WVR (Inside Visible Vary) engagement between an USAF F-16C from the fifty fifth Fighter Squadron (fifty fifth FS) and an EAF Rafale.
This occurred throughout Train #BrightStar25 in #Egypt on August 30, 2025, and was launched solely just lately. An #USAF F-16C pilot from the fifty fifth Fighter Squadron outmaneuvered an #Egyptian Rafale DM in a dogfight. Whereas the Rafale is mostly superior in shut air fight, a… pic.twitter.com/F2JWoelJWI
— Babak Taghvaee – The Disaster Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) November 10, 2025
It’s claimed that the F-16 gained a bonus over the Rafale, however there isn’t any strategy to independently confirm the declare – no less than with out the HUD (Heads-Up Show). Additionally, with out figuring out situations and guidelines of engagement, any consideration about this encounter wouldn’t be correct.
EAF F-16s additionally prominently figured within the multinational Train Vibrant Star two months in the past.
Huge because of Raphaël Savry for permitting us to make use of his picture for this text!
