As the continued sales of the F-16 make clear, you should never discount a fighter from the previous generation. Now the Rafale is illustrating that you should never give up on a fighter of the latest generation. Lockheed has just received the contract to build 24 Advanced Block 52 F-16C/Ds for delivery to Morocco beginning in 2011, 34 years, 25 customers and 4,400-plus aircraft after the "electric jet" first flew.

Dassault, meanwhile, has struggled unsuccessfully to secure just one export order for the Rafale, most recently losing to the F-16 in Morocco. Now the United Arab Emirates has confirmed preliminary discussions with France on the potential purchase of Rafales to replace its 63 Mirage 2000-9s beginning in 2013. The UAE already operates F-16E/F Block 60s alongside its Mirages, so it's hard to see Dassault losing this one.

Between the UAE and all the fighter competitions that are queuing up around the world, it looks like Dassault will at last secure the long-sought export endorsement, or two, for the Rafale. Pretty though it is, the Rafale will never beat the F-16 on price. But cost is only one factor in a fighter purchase.