Well, let's start with correct comments from others first :
I believe they are also compatible with MICA missiles which also makes them potent interceptor/ fighters.
No doubt the idea is to replace Deltas with Delta, since they are Mk2-9 category, they wouldn't require much in the way of upgrades with reportedly very low flight hours logged.
if UAE M2k are coming than we should expect that Qatari as well as French M2k will also came. So there is no need to try hard..
Those two coupled seem to point to a Mirage III/5 redux.
For the record, that worked well with Rose updates and
Pakistan is forever the historic last user of these types?
So why not a second time around?
If it is the case then let's hear the French/Dassault word as well that we cannot pursue such large buy of another Mirage Type without after sale support/service. By looking at track record, India must have a condition for France in Rafale Contract, mentioned to stop such further sales to Pakistan or who knows.
Ah! that is the main contention point, now, isn't it? India
would have "paid" for insurances that no such deal was
to happen within the Rafale deal and so on, right?
Well, let's suppose they did ...
In such cases, the politics favour the bold. I remember
things like Israeli vedettes mysteriously leaving their
French port and their maintenance documents fleeing to
Switzerland and later settling in the Levant.
One could imagine easily that an UAE deal for Rafales
would include a few too many MICAs or an associated
contract for parts for the Dash-9s only for these to be
transferred to Pakistan despite assurances to the contrary ...
Of course, France will play the innocent virgin/victim but
let's be realists and understand that arms sales are still
sales for all their complexity and that money talks loud?
So France signs a legit series of contracts with
"trust-in-cheek"
conditions but once the Rafales have landed in Abu Dhabi,
the UAE change their minds about those and 2000-9s with
their full kits change adresses 2000 kliks to the East.
Of course, that will bring a nominal cold front over our relation
but I somehow think it will warm in time for the next contract?
those dashnines are better planes era for era & year for year than
the IIIs and 5s when Pakistan acquired them.
They compare favourably with the I/TI being transformed in Bharat.*
Of course, they'll suffer size and capacity comparison with Rafales H
but for now, there is to be less of the latter so . . .
Plus it brings about a simple question : Is Pakistan going to attack India?
Because if the answer is no, that batch with Rose type works will be
more than enough to gap to the next generation as ad peeps call it.
They'd replace the Mirages that are beginning to be really old with an
overall level on par or better than the F-16s just in case and while JF-17
finishes production and thus secure most needs for PAF until a brand
new aircraft of tomorrow can come in in numbers, whichever that will be.
I see no reason why it couldn't be done nor have any objections.
Have a great day all, Tay.
* About which :
Technologically ambitious and based on the integration of the latest generation equipment and systems, the first phase of the programme was completed on schedule in France.
The maiden flight of its first upgraded Mirage 2000 was completed successfully by Dassault Aviation on the 5th October 2013, following a two year development phase dedicated to the equipment kit provided by Thales including the radar, the electronic warfare suite and the mission computer.
But the original of that development is still the UAE's 2000-9.
