for france that means selling its home grown fighter jet rafal. >> reporter: the rafal is a french fighter jet used primarily by the french air force. until recently no one else wanted it, it didn't stack up, even if the boss of the company which makes it thinks otherwise. >> i think its capability has been recognized by our complers. problems in some areas in the world, has also pushed some government to buy and to reinforce the difference. >> reporter: this is key not so much to the rafal in-air success. middle eastern countries saw what the plane could do in combat and they could buy them with much more flexibility. >> dedicated functions we are ready to develop then we propose in their contract to develop the specificity. we need authorization from our french authorities to sell to these countries. >> reporter: the sheer number of people who come to see the rafal at an air show like this is test standpoint to the amount of interest in it. aviation spent $45 billion just on developing the rafal but that's been money well spent when you think that qatar has bought, india has bought. and

. >> reporter: rafal is a french fighter jet and used predominately by the french airforce and untilno one else wanted it. performance wise it did not stack up against competitors like the euro fighter or f 18 even if the company which makes it thinks otherwise. >> i think the capability has been recognized by our customers. problems in some areas in the world has also pushed some government to buy and to reenforce their own defense. >> reporter: and this is the key, not so much to rafal in the air success but export success. the war in libya in 2011 was a key moment when they saw what the plane could do in combat and they could buy them with much more flexibility. >> functions, we are ready to develop and then we propose a contract for the the specificities and we need to permission to sell to countries. >> reporter: the people who come to see rafal is testing the amount of interest in it and aviation spent $45 billion just on developing the raf an al and that is well spent and cutter and egypt bought 24 and india boith 36 of them and there is talk of a fourth major deal in the pipe