Positioned as a potential new export of the platform to an international customer, France would be advancing negotiations to supply 14 Rafale F4 fighter jets to the Iraqi Air Force in order to renew its current fleet, whose backbone is today composed of U.S.-made F-16s. According to French local media, the negotiations have been ongoing for more than three years and are currently in their final phase, with the deal expected to be definitively concluded in the coming months.
Expanding on some of the details known so far, of the 14 aircraft that would make up the total, 10 would be single-seat Rafale C variants and four would be two-seat Rafale B variants. It has also been indicated that these would be new-build aircraft manufactured by Dassault, rather than second-hand jets acquired from the French Air and Space Force. The aircraft would be delivered equipped with MICA NG and Meteor air-to-air missiles, as well as AASM 250 and AASM 1000 systems for attacks against ground targets.
Another notable aspect highlighted by French analysts is the fact that the Iraqi Air Force has already had the opportunity to fly alongside French pilots operating Rafale fighters, allowing Iraqi personnel to observe the platform’s capabilities firsthand and assess its performance compared to their own F-16s. In this regard, particular emphasis is placed on Operation Chammal, during which, according to French reports, the superiority of the Dassault-backed candidate became evident.
Furthermore, it has been noted that Iraqi delegations have already visited France in recent months to closely observe the fighter and even sit in its cockpit. Among them was General Muhannad Ghalib al-Asadi, the current commander of the Iraqi Air Force. In addition, it was also reported that last December two senior officers traveled from Baghdad to France with the mission of observing firsthand the training programs undertaken by future Rafale pilots.
Pending further clarification on the matter, it is worth recalling that the Iraqi Air Force continues to maintain its fleet of 34 F-16C/D Block 52 fighters at a high level of operational availability, which the U.S. Department of Defense has previously estimated at around 66%. This achievement is largely attributed to Washington’s support through the FMS program, which has provided technical and logistical assistance over the years. One of the most recent examples was a contract awarded in June last year to the company V2X for 118 million dollars.
Finally, looking at the Rafale platform and the sales achieved by Dassault, it is notable that there are more than 500 aircraft on firm order for the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace and its international partners, including countries such as India, Serbia, and Indonesia. In addition, the manufacturer announced in October 2025 that it had reached the milestone of 300 fighters produced, while also highlighting the work carried out on production lines to increase capacity to around four aircraft per month.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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