The United Arab Emirates has refused to participate in the development of the modernized Rafale F5 fighter due to dissatisfaction with the terms of cooperation with France. This was reported by La Tribune.
According to the source, the UAE is irritated by France's unwillingness to share the secrets of the combat aircraft, including in the field of optoelectronic equipment. French President Emmanuel Macron personally visited Abu Dhabi in December 2025 to resolve the disagreements, but hopes were not fulfilled.
For Russia, this news is noteworthy because the media reported on the UAE's interest in the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter program.
At the Dubai Airshow international exhibition in November 2025, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan personally inspected the export version of the Su-57 and even looked into the pilot's cabin from a special viewing platform.
The head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia, Dmitry Shugaev, noted that Al Nahyan asked many questions about the aircraft, and his representatives received complete information about the machine.
As a reminder, Rostec first presented the Su-57 with open internal weapons bays at the exhibition in Dubai, which allowed potential customers to assess the dimensions of the weapons used and combat capabilities.