Egypt’s military has ordered 30 Rafale jets from French defence firm Dassault Aviation, part of a multi-billion-dollar defence mega-deal confirmed by France.
The order, which follows the 2015 purchase of 24 Rafale jets, the first sold to a foreign country, will be financed through a 10-year loan, the military said in a statement.
An Investigative site had reported that the order concluded on April 26 was part of a secret defence mega-deal, including missiles and electronics, worth almost four billion euros ($4.8 billion).
French defence ministry sources confirmed the contract was worth “in the order of” that figure and included weapons and training.
Egypt is to take out loans from French banks, guaranteed by the state in France, the French finance ministry said.
Eighteen single-seat models of the Rafale and 12 twin-seaters are to be delivered between 2024 and 2026, according to the French defence ministry.
Egypt is the world’s third-biggest arms importer after Saudi Arabia and India, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
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