Uzbekistan looks to buy 24 Rafale fighters
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| Dassault Rafale multirole combat aicraft. |
Uzbekistan is considering buying 24 Rafale fighter aircraft from France. Such a plan emerged during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Uzbekistan on November 2, 2023. The purchase of a modern fighter is part of the Asian nation's efforts to modernize its military equipment.
Uzbekistan has allocated a defense budget of around $1.4 billion this year, demonstrating its commitment to upgrading national defense capabilities.
The purchase of the Rafale by Uzbekistan would represent not only a technological leap but also a significant geopolitical change in the military landscape of Central Asia. The nation that has historically done military business with Russia has gradually begun to shift its interest towards Western platforms. This change of direction was confirmed by the purchase of CASA C-295 transport aircraft from Spain and Eurocopter AS550 and AS532 helicopters from France.
The fleet of the Uzbek Air Force currently consists of "Russian-made" fighters, including MiG-29, Su-25 and Su-27. In 2021 the nation had shown interest in introducing an unspecified quantity of SU-30SM jets, however Russia's growing difficulty in supplying spare parts appears to have scuppered this potential deal.
Written by Matteo Sanzani
Uzbekistan has allocated a defense budget of around $1.4 billion this year, demonstrating its commitment to upgrading national defense capabilities.
The purchase of the Rafale by Uzbekistan would represent not only a technological leap but also a significant geopolitical change in the military landscape of Central Asia. The nation that has historically done military business with Russia has gradually begun to shift its interest towards Western platforms. This change of direction was confirmed by the purchase of CASA C-295 transport aircraft from Spain and Eurocopter AS550 and AS532 helicopters from France.
The fleet of the Uzbek Air Force currently consists of "Russian-made" fighters, including MiG-29, Su-25 and Su-27. In 2021 the nation had shown interest in introducing an unspecified quantity of SU-30SM jets, however Russia's growing difficulty in supplying spare parts appears to have scuppered this potential deal.
Written by Matteo Sanzani
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