6 February 2019, Bordeaux-Mérignac — Today a ceremony hosted by Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, was held in the company Mérignac airport facility for the official delivery of the first Rafale DQ to the Qatari Emiri Air Force, under the patronage of H.E. Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, and Geneviève Darrieussecq, French State Secretary to the Minister of Armed Forces, and in the presence of the Qatar Emiri Air Force Commander, Major General Mubarak Al Khayareen.
The first Rafale delivery, on schedule, comes after the signature in May 2015 of a contract for the acquisition by the State of Qatar of 24 Rafale to equip its small Air Force, and an additional 12, in December 2017, for a total of ‘standard F-3R‘ 36 Rafale to fly under Qatari colours. In the frame of this contract, a large body of Qatari pilots as well as technicians are being trained in France both by the French Air Force and the French Industry at BA 113 in Saint Dizier and at BA 118 in Mont-de-Marsan. BA 118 is now the lair of the QEAF in France, where it has established its own brand-new HQ building and hangar to support aircrew daily training. Most of the QEAF Rafales will for the time-being be based permanently in France, until a full squadron reaches operational status.
The very high level of the guests attending that ceremony reflects the importance of the historic and strategic partnership between Qatar, France and Dassault Aviation, and the Rafale. The QEAF has been over the years a keen operator of Dassault designed aircraft, from the Mirage F1 and the Alpha Jets of the 1980s, to the Mirage 2000 today soldiering on until replaced by the Rafale which will carry out the tradition and will contribute to secure the air defence of the state of Qatar.
“For the fourth time in our long and trustful partnership with Qatar, a Dassault Aviation aircraft will serve proudly in the Qatari Emiri Air Force. This first delivery is the culmination of a relationship started more than 40 years ago and I am very pleased and grateful that once again the State of Qatar, has renewed its confidence in our dedication and confirmed not once, but twice, the choice of the Rafale to protect its land and people”, declared Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.
It is interesting to note that the QEAF Rafale DQ and EQ models are the first of their kind to display the new two-tone disruptive camouflage akin to that sported by most of the air defence Mirage 2000 interceptors. <>
