Qatar set to replace its Mirage 2000-5 with Rafale ?

We know for a while that Qatar is interested in buying new fighters to replace its Mirage 2000-5 delivered in 1997.

(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

According to La Tribune today, Rafale would be well positionned if required, because :

• Qatar has given its word to replace its Mirage with Rafale ;
• Rafale has been very successful during the hot weather trials (50°C) conducted earlier (with live AASM firing and Qatar pilots in the back seat), contrary to F-15 and F-18.

The problem is "when ?" While some sources indicated that Qatar could select  a type before the end of the year, some others thinks that Qatar doesn't need to replace the Mirage right now. A situation which looks similar to the UAE's.

Of course, there are two other types that Qatar will evaluate before : Eurofighter Typhoon and F-16b50/52.
Jon Lake told us in April that the evaluation of Typhoon had been cancelled in April 2011 (lybian operations), so, they still have to do it.