The United Arab Emirates and France exchanged two defense documents in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Oct. 20, while AFP reported a cost-sharing arrangement for the UAE's planned Rafale F5 program for its fleet.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the exchange of the Strategic Defence Partnership Framework and an agreement on implementing arrangements regarding the defence industry, the UAE presidency said. The announcement named the documents but did not mention F5 funding. EconoTimes previously covered the framework and industry arrangement exchange.
AFP reported that France and the UAE would share costs for the F5 standard. Its report did not specify either country's contribution or provide a payment schedule. The UAE presidency's announcement also did not detail the F5 cost split or technology-access terms.
The report follows an earlier financing dispute. La Tribune reported in April that talks had stalled over the UAE's request for technology access in return for funding. The public announcement did not say whether or how that issue was resolved.
The UAE's 2021 contracts covered 80 Rafale aircraft. The wider package also included 12 Caracal H225 helicopters, weapons, training and spare parts, and totaled €16.6 billion, according to an Élysée joint communiqué. That figure applies to the 2021 package, not the reported F5 cost-sharing arrangement. The public UAE announcement did not announce an additional aircraft purchase.
Dassault Aviation says preliminary work on the F5 standard has begun and describes it as designed to operate with a combat drone system. France's Direction générale de l’Armement (DGA), the country's defense procurement agency, said in September that it had awarded preliminary equipment contracts. The DGA expects to launch the F5 realization phase by the end of 2026, with qualification projected around 2033.
