Egypt buys 24 fighter jets from France

Egypt will become the first foreign buyer of Rafale fighter jets, French officials said Thursday, purchasing 24 of the multirole French-made aircraft as part of a 5.2 billion-euro (U.S. $5.93 billion) defense deal that will strengthen Cairo’s military might in a tense and violent region.

The sale marks the culmination of years of French efforts to sell the Dassault Aviationbuilt planes. It will also confirm international recognition of an aircraft that has been used in combat missions over places like Mali, Libya and most recently Iraq, as part of both national and international operations.

The Rafale has been in service for France’s air force since 2006, and started flying air support in Afghanistan the following year. In Libya in 2011, the Rafale took up tasks including no-fly zone enforcement, air-to-ground strikes, reconnaissance, and overflight missions.