2024-08-30 09:00:06
LThe Rafale multirole combat aircraft, manufactured by the Dassault Aviation company, is achieving the expected success abroad. It weighs heavily in French exports, which has placed France in second place in the world by the value of its exports, according to a new report from the International Peace Research Institute of Stockholm, published in March. Far behind America, but now ahead of Russia.
Dassault Aviation documents that the manufacturer is struggling to keep up with demand. The new agreement was announced with great interest on Wednesday August 29 in Belgrade, where President Emmanuel Macron made the trip, denying his presence to the Prime Minister for twenty-four hours, to attend the registration of the sale to Serbia of twelve Rafale, for worth close to 3 billion euros.
If the commercial success of this operation, resulting from the sale of another dozen models three years ago to Croatia, Serbia’s neighbor and regional rival, is undeniable, its diplomatic dimension is much more controversial. From the beginning, the project has been excited, rightly so, because of Serbia’s links with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
A candidate for the European Union (EU), Serbia does not use the sanctions that the Europeans decided against Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine; Unlike EU airlines, Air Serbia continues to fly to Moscow. Belgrade has also ordered fighter jets and air defense batteries from Russia and China.
Nationalism and autocratic administration
The Elysée defends in fact the opposite argument to justify the sale of the Rafale, which it sees as a means of“Connect Serbia to Europe”instead of letting it go into the gray area that Moscow and Beijing are using to exert their influence. The acquisition of the Rafale to replace the Serbian fleet of tired Russian Mig-29 fighter jets is a sign “process change”, “history and significance”, appealed to the President of the Republic on Thursday; He was sure of that “The Rafale Group”, between which Serbia joins Greece and Croatia, can be contradicted “Participate in peace in Europe” and foster community integration.
No one would argue the benefit for France and Europe of supplying Serbian aircraft with French rather than Russian – or even American aircraft. Such sales mean a long link with the exporting country, for training requirements, maintenance and supply of spare parts. But it must be hoped that all precautions have been taken to guarantee the safety of the technology and know-how involved in the Rafale in a country where Russians have free energy and where air defense developers of China and Russia will be able to ensure their rest. baking
Finally, the most powerful engine of Serbia’s integration into the European fold is not found under the cockpit of the Rafale, however efficient it may be. The main obstacles to this approach are patriotism and the government of his country by President Aleksandar Vucic, who shuts down the media, making the opposition against and causing conflict in Kosovo, which is independent. write. Unfortunately, President Macron did not say a word about all this on Wednesday in Belgrade.
#Rafales #watch #Serbia