France has delivered the first batch of twin-engine and multirole Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft to the military-backed government in Egypt.

Cairo had ordered the military aircraft, worth 5.2 billion euros (5.6 billion dollars), under a contract sealed with Paris earlier this year.

Egyptian authorities took charge of three planes, the first of 24 military aircraft bought under the deal, at an air base in southern France on Monday, and they will be flown to Egypt’s capital by specially trained pilots on Tuesday.

Egypt is allegedly seeking to upgrade its military edge in the face of threats posed from neighboring Libya, where rival factions of militants are fighting each other to win a lion's share of oil revenues and establish their own government, and ISIL-affiliated Takfiri militants from the Velayat Sinai terrorist group, who are wreaking havoc in Egypt's violence-plagued Sinai Peninsula.

The overall military deal between France and Egypt also includes contracts for missiles and for an FREMM multi-mission frigate, which will reportedly have anti-aircraft warfare, anti-ballistic missiles and surface attack capabilities.

The accord has drawn criticisms from campaign groups concerned over Cairo's heavy-handed crackdown on anti-government protests and political dissidents.

More than 1,400 people have reportedly lost their lives and 16,000 others have been detained in the crackdown ever since Egypt’s first democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown by then head of the armed forces and current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in July 2013.

Some have even lambasted France of its double standards. They argue that while France has frozen delivery of two Mistral-class warships to Russia over Moscow’s alleged involvement in Ukraine crisis, it is pushing ahead with the Egypt deal.

France views the deal with Egypt for its premier Rafale combat jet as a boon, as Paris has failed to sell the jet to countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Morocco, Switzerland and Brazil.

The business prospect for Rafale warplanes improved this year, and France could strike deals with Qatar and Egypt, secure a firm order from India, and invite interest from the United Arab Emirates.