Riyadh (EMS). Prince Salman is going to buy Rafale aircraft for Saudi Arabia. If you believe a report in media, then there is a plan to buy about 200 aircraft. Saudi Arabia has spent decades building a massive air force made up of advanced American and British fighter jets. But Riyadh’s interest in buying large numbers of French fighter jets, the Rafale, could be a sign that it doesn’t think its old friends are as reliable as they used to be. Citing an unnamed source, France’s Media reported that Saudi Arabia is considering buying 100 to 200 Dassault Rafale fighter jets. The report comes at a time when it was told that Riyadh will not buy fighter jets from its traditional aircraft supplier countries in future.
Let us tell you that in October last year, due to anger over Prince Salman’s cut in oil production, US lawmakers proposed a law banning the sale of all US weapons to Saudi Arabia. Fortunately, this proposal could not be passed. If this had happened, the entire Saudi Air Force would have been grounded, as the necessary parts and other equipment for its fighter jets could not be found. In July Germany announced that it would not allow the sale of more Eurofighter Typhoons to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Air Force operates 72 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. Saudi Arabia’s neighbors the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have already built large and powerful air forces thanks to Western fighter jets. Both of them also have dozens of Rafale fighter jets.