The French Navy is expected to operate eight Aquitaine class (FREMM) frigates. The first two – L’Aquitaine and Normandie are seen in this picture taken early 2014 in the Atlantic. Egypt considers buying two such frigates for 1.8 billion Euros as part of its naval modernization plan.



France and Egypt are ‘close to agreement’ on a large scale arms deal that could cost 5-6 billion Euros and include naval vessels and fighter aircraft, La Tribune reports.

The French proposal includes two FREMM multi-mission frigates worth 1.8 billion Euros ($2.07 billion), to be built by DCNS, and 20 Rafale combat aircraft from Dassault, worth 3.6 billion Euros ($4.15 billion). Both platforms will be armed with missile systems manufactured by MBDA.
The CEOs of these companies visited Cairo this week to promote the deal. This visit is the latest stage in the dialog between the two countries, which also included the visit of Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Paris in November, followed by a high level Egyptian delegation that discussed the deal for 10 days in December. A French delegation travelled to Cairo last week, to discuss financial aspects of the project.

While Rafale has yet to strike the first export deal, the FREMM program, as a multi-national program has been more successful providing vessels for three navies. If selected, Egypt would be the fourth FREMM operator after Italy, France and Morocco. Egypt considers the FREMM frigate to become the flagship of the Egyptian Navy and wants the two frigates as quickly as possible and France is ready to deliver vessels currently on order for the French Navy, if the deal is signed soon. Egypt wants to have at least one ship for the planned inauguration ceremony of the expanded Suez Canal planned for 2015.

The Egyptian interest in the FREMM follows the acquisition of four Gowind 2500 corvettes for about one billion Euros. The lead corvette will be delivered from France while the remaining three will be built in Egypt.


assault has delivered over 130 Rafale fighter jets to the French Air Force and Navy. Egypt considers buying 20 such aircraft for 3.6 billion Euros. Photo: French Air Force


The Rafale could be an alternative to other aircraft the Egyptian Air Force needs to modernize its forces, that rely almost exclusively on the Lockheed Martin F-16 supplied by the USA. The latest acquisition of 20 F-16 Block 50/52 aircraft was approved in 2010, but was partly delivered due a US embargo on weapons delivery to Egypt, that followed after the ‘Arab Spring’ of 2011, that lead to the fall of president Moubarak in 2011 and the military coup in 2013 that brought general Sisi to power. Although Washington approved the delivery of some of the embargoed weapons, Cairo is not trusting Washington and is seeking reliable alternative sources.

Rafale seems to be a viable alternative, as Dassault is seeking orders to beef up the production line that currently produces one aircraft per month, stretching production of the remaining 43 aircraft ordered for the French Air Force and Navy until 2018, as the F3R upgrades will be introduced.
http://defense-update.com/20150116_c...l#.VLoKTNKUfl8
=========================================================

semoga bisa pecah telor, kayaknya duitnya dapet dari negara tetanggannya yang tajir nih