France and Egypt were poised yesterday to sign a multi-billion-euro deal for the first foreign sale of the Rafale fighter jet, as Cairo bombed targets of Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham militants in Libya. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is to ink the 5.2-billion-euro deal for 24 Rafale fighters that Paris hopes will prompt others to snap up its premier combat jet. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi "has a strategic need to ensure the security of the Suez canal, through which a large part of global trade passes," noted Le Drian. "That is the main reason for the urgency to have both naval and aerial capabilities to ensure this security," he added. The sale comes as welcome news to cash-strapped France, which is even diverting three jets away from its own airforce for the delivery due later this year. French President Francois Hollande said the agreement - clinched in only three months of negotiation - provided Cairo with "a quality aircraft" and was important for Egypt "taking into account the threats existing around the country." France is also hoping the deal will act as a catalyst to unblock hoped-for sales to other countries. Eric Trappier, chief executive of Dassault Aviation, which manufactures the jet, has said he was "very confident" that three years of exclusive talks with India on the sale of 126 Rafale jets worth 12 billion euros would soon result in a deal. He said talks were slow as Delhi wanted some of the jets manufactured at home in a bid to boost manufacturing, meaning that every nut and bolt had to be discussed. Paris is also eyeing possible deals with Qatar and Malaysia. "There is a psychological barrier that has been broken down," said Trappier in an interview with French business daily Les Echos. "In terms of our image, it will help us get over the line in other countries," he said. Attempts to sell the jet to countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Morocco, Switzerland and Brazil have seen the Rafale lose out to its foreign competitors. Despite the cheering in Paris, the agreed sale has sparked fury from some groups over perceived human rights abuses in Egypt. Amnesty International attacked the decision to sell the 24 jets and a frigate to a nation it accused of "alarming" rights abuses. And others have criticised Paris of double standards by freezing its delivery of two Mistral-class warships to Russia over the Ukraine crisis but going ahead with the Egypt deal.