Is France going to topple US as world’s largest arms exporter? It could happen if Rafale…, America’s decision about F-35….

European countries are concerned about America’s ‘unpredictable’ politics.

Rafale Fighter Jet: France has once again emerged as the world’s second-largest exporter of weapons behind the United States. The military equipment that is drawing the most attention worldwide is the Dassault Rafale twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft.

France is expanding the production of the Dassault Rafale to increase the number of the highly sought-after fighter jet equipped with a wide range of weapons to for purpose. Rafale fighter jet is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. It is referred to as an omnirole aircraft by Dassault.

According to a recent report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), France became the second-largest arms exporter after the USA, beating Russia.

“The largest share of France’s arms exports (42 per cent) went to states in Asia and Oceania, and another 34 per cent went to Middle Eastern states. The largest single recipient of French arms exports was India, which accounted for nearly 30 per cent,” states the SIPRI report.

The SIPRI report credited the sharp increase to selling the jet to Egypt, Qatar, and India. The Rafale has been the mainstay of France’s military arsenal for more than 20 years. Countries that have bought the fighter jet include Egypt, India, Qatar, the UAE, Greece, Croatia, Indonesia, and Serbia. Of these, the UAE placed the largest order for 80 fighters, in 2021.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly been thinking over to purchase 54 Rafale fighter jets after its close friend America refused to sell the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.

Till sometime back, America’s Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet was in a huge demand but ever since US President Donald Trump made known his foreign policies, the prospective buyers are now looking for alternatives. European countries are concerned that America’s ‘unpredictable’ politics can stop the delivery of weapons or components or software updates of F-35 at any time of crisis.

They have found one in Rafale.

Following the tilt from the USA towards France, Dassault Aviation reported an increase in its full-year sales of the Rafale. It has been related to rising geopolitical tensions, especially after the Trump administration suspended military assistance to Ukraine. This has led to a sense of uncertainty and insecurity among the European Union members and mistrust between the USA and the European Union.

Dassault is experiencing a surge in demand, mostly due to Russia’s involvement in the war in Ukraine and the EU’s insecurities about continued US military assistance.

Dassault anticipates delivering 25 Rafale and 40 Falcon aircraft in 2025, generating about $6.5 billion in annual revenue. In 2024, Dassault reported receiving #10.87 billion in orders, which included previously announced orders for 26 Falcon business jets and 30 Rafale jets for foreign markets.

The French company is exploring more markets to sell the popular fighter jet to boost French export quotient.