""Engine thrust upgraded form 7.5 ton to 9 ton to cope with UAE's hot weather""

 

This is not really part of the requirement but the UAE want the M88-3 . Rafale already demonstrated its excellent thrust under very hot condition but the UAE has money to spare and getting a more powerfull engines is never bad .

Regarding the AESA RBE2 , the radar fulfill the UAE (and India) needs as far as we know .

SAR mode which is one of the request :

 

 

 

Buying  back the Mirage's  is  the greatest  stumbling  block to the deal .  I doubt that anybody would be willing to buy 60 old Mirages in a such competitive market.. There is no market for this...

Considering the fact that the Romanians did their sums a few years back and went with system upgrades rather than new buys, then I can hardly see them buggering up their treasury coffers by injecting a new and different solution with dissimilar parts etc... into their orbat.  One thing everyone knows is not to buy systems like the Indians have done.  Its biting them on the arse.  Buying a different combat system is more than just the isssue of the general public seeing the sexy bits at airshows and service day events.  Esp in the current financial climate.

""The Mirage 2000-9 isn't exactly old.  It's pretty competitive.  I would even say that it's a better interceptor than the Rafales currently in service.""

 

The -9s are not very old indeed and stay very competitive . Nevertheless while they are deadly in AtoA  , the Rafale has the edge . I know why you say such thing sentinel : the -9 's RDY-2 radar , the ICMS MkIII ECM suite , its rather low RCS (2 square meter) and its speed . The Rafale better the -9 in all those areas bare the max speed , but I agree that the ECM fight would be very close and the two fighters would probably have to go dogfight and then , the -9 is in a hell of trouble ...

 

Cheers .

These ambitions have now been abandoned, and according to our information, Bucharest provides for only the purchase of 12 used aircraft, which could be either former F-16C / D Block 25 of the U.S. Air Force, currently under cocoon in the Mojave Desert or, indeed, Mirage 2000-9 redeemed by the French government in the UAE, and then resold.""

 

Cheers .

" .....These ambitions have now been abandoned, and according to our information, Bucharest provides for only the purchase of 12 used aircraft, which could be either former F-16C / D Block 25 of the U.S. Air Force, currently under cocoon in the Mojave Desert or, indeed, Mirage 2000-9 redeemed by the French government in the UAE, and then resold"

""France won't be interested in  (selling)12 aircraft""

 

gf , I am sorry to say but things are far more complicated than you might think .

As much as I dislike it , France could well buy back the 60 UAE -9s , sell 12 of them for cheap with a nice weapon and maintenance deal to Romania and use the rest of the -9s to : 1) replace our -5s here in Dijon , 2) slowdown the Rafale delivery to the FAF and MN to accelerate the delivery for potential buyers .

We 're many here in France to worry about such a deal . As it stands , Dassault 's Rafale line maximum production is 3 to 4 aircraft per month (around 40 aircraft/year) and at that rate , Dassault could fullfil every deals (French + abroad) and deliver on time , but Dassault doesn 't want to do so (?!) . I know this is new to you , but you have to trust me on this . 

There is some budget problem and Dassault is not sure that the French DGA will order in time the the next 60 planned Rafales . Another proof of the French cock-up regarding the calender delivery . So , Dassault doesn 't want to take any risk .

Instead , France could well use two Squadrons of -9s for 2 or 3 years before getting Rafale F3s in numbers , then the -9s could replace our old M2000 Cs and Bs for another 5 years . 

This kind of deal is very cheap for the French DGA and we sell some to Romania . Of course , it delays the next two Squadrons of Rafale F3s by 2 to 3 years . This is what I woory about .

 

Regarding the Romanian logistics , swapping Mig-21s for F-16s or -9s is the same : they will need to adapt .

 

Cheers .