Dassault and the French government have distanced themselves from national media reports that suggest Libya has become the first export customer to select the Rafale multirole fighter, writes Craig Hoyle.
A 14 January report in the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche claimed that between 13 and 18 Rafales could be supplied to the Libyan air force under a burgeoning relationship between the nations' governments.
If concluded, the sale could be valued at up to €2.5 billion ($3.2 billion), it said.
Countering the claim last week, a Dassault source said: "There are no negotiations with Libya on the Rafale." Any decision to offer the aircraft would have to be made by the French government, but defence minister Michèle Alliot Marie has also denied the report, the source added.
Dassault participated in the Libyan Aviation Exhibition in Tripoli early last month, with its attempt to sound out future business opportunities in the country also supported by the French air force's deployment of a two-seat Rafale B to the air show. Other aircraft on display included Alenia Aermacchi's M-311 and MB-339 jet trainers.
Libya late last year placed a major contract with French industry for the modernisation of 12 of its air force's Dassault Mirage F1 fighters. Understood to be valued at around €100 million, the Sofema Groupe-brokered upgrade will provide significant work for airframe manufacturer Dassault, engine supplier Snecma and avionics house Thales.
Additional details of the F1 modernisation programme have not yet been released. The Libyan air force has an operational fleet of 32 F1AD/ED fighters and six F1BD trainers, according to Flight's MiliCAS database.
Source: Flight International
