Paris: Technical talks on the sale of Rafale fighters to the United Arab Emirates are wrapping up, Defence Minister Herve Morin said Tuesday, adding that France was likely to pick up part of modernization costs.
Regarding the improvements that the UAE is seeking to the multi-roleaircraft, Morin said on France Info radio "that's a discussion we'vebeen engaged in for months and which is in the course of beingfinalized".
Talks on acquiring thelatest-generation French-made fighters began after the UAE expressedinterest in 2008 in replacing its 60 aging Mirage fighters.
Morin said the costs of themodernization was in the order of two billion euros, not four to fivebillion euros as has been speculated, and that France would likelyabsorb some ofthe costs as it had planned to carry them out anyway.
Regarding Brazil, Morin said he "remains confident" that the Rafale will prevail.
The Rafale, made by Dassault, has yet to clinch a single overseassale and is in competition with Sweden's Gripen NG by Saab and the F/A-18 Super Hornet manufactured by US giant Boeing.
The deal for 36 fighter planes is estimated to be worth between fourand seven billion dollars, depending on details of armaments,maintenance and peripheral industrial involvement.
"We've established a relationship of trust with the Brazilians and they have never let us down," said Morin.
