France will buy 42 Dassault Rafale fighters in the new F4 modification, which is still under development

The French Ministry of Defense plans to buy domestically produced Dassault Rafale fighters.

Here's What We Know

The information was shared by the publication Le Journal de L'Aviation. We are talking about 42 planes. The contract can be signed in 2023. Deliveries of aircrafts are planned in two stages. On the first the French Air Force will receive 12 planes, and on the second - 30. Deliveries must begin in 2027.

According to rumors, France has ordered aircraft in a new modification of the F4, which is still under development. The Rafale F4 project was announced in 2019, and the first tests of the fighter began two years later. By the way, in addition to France, 80 such fighters will be bought by the UAE.

Flashback

The Rafale is a French multi-role fighter, which was developed by the French company Dassault Aviation. It made its first flight on July 4, 1986. Since 2000, it is operated by the French Air Force and Navy. The fighter has a crew of 1-2 people, a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 (2203 km/h) and two twin-turbojet engines with afterburner SNECMA M88-2. Rafale can fly up to 3700 km.

Source: Le Journal de L'Aviation