RAFALE Combat Aircraft Monthly Jul 2015 pp24

The Rafale omni-role fi ghter is on something of a roll. Having demonstrated its versatility in the skies over Libya in 2011, the Rafale has led the way for the French Air Force in combat

operations in Africa and now in the Middle East.

As well as proving its multi-role capabilities — the Rafale is potent in the air-to-air, precision strike, stand-off interdictor strike and reconnaissance roles both from land and sea — its world presence has served as a useful reminder and showcase of its capabilities. Indeed, this has spurred a fl urry of recent sales activity with orders from Egypt, India and Qatar.

In this special supplement, we will detail the combat record of the Rafale, and look at specifi c capabilities now and into the future.

Jamie Hunter,

Editor, Combat Aircraft

04 THE FIGHTER: RAFALE IN DETAIL Henri-Pierre Grolleau details the systems, engines and weapons systems of the Rafale

10 RAFALE UNIT GUIDE A guide to French Air Force squadrons and Naval Flottilles plus badges and insignia

14 COMBAT REPORT: RAFALE AT WAR The Rafale has proved itself in combat in three major theaters. In this report we detail the type’s combat-proven capabilities

20 RAFALE FUTURE Henri-Pierre Grolleau explains the latest market strides being made by Dassault and the future capabilities being planned for the Rafale

2 Rafale www.combataircraft.net

WELCOME

Inset: Aircrew and

technicians prepare a

Rafale B for a mission.

Alex Paringaux

Main image: A French Air

Force Rafale B with Scalp

cruise missiles. Dassault/Katsuhiko Tokunaga

3www.combataircraft.net Rafale

SpazSinbad

Text Box

Combat Aircraft Jul 2015 Vol.16 No.7

THE RAFALE WAS conceived as a modular, easily upgradable strike fi ghter that would excel in all types of air-to-air and air-to-surface missions. It was introduced in

four initial different standards that offered increasing operational capabilities:

• Rafale F1, an interim air defense variant built to replace outdated F-8 Crusader fi ghters then still fl ying with the Marine Nationale, the French Navy. Thirteen aircraft were built to this standard: three Air Force variants used for the development program and 10 Navy single-seaters.

• Rafale F2, fi tted with the new Modular Data Processing Unit (MDPU), Scalp stealth cruise missiles, and 500lb GBU-12 and GBU-22 laser-guided bombs. A total of 48 Rafale F2s were delivered, split into 32 for the Armée de l’Air, the French Air Force, and 16 for the Marine Nationale.

• Rafale F3, which permitted all types of missions to be performed, including reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence attacks. That third batch of Rafales was composed of 47 F3 aircraft for the Air Force and 12 for the Navy.

• Rafale F3-O4T of the fourth production tranche, with an improved sensor suite that comprises the new active electronically-

scanned array (AESA) radar. This production tranche is split into 10 Rafale M naval fi ghters and 50 Rafale B/C Air Force aircraft.

Thanks to the type’s ease of upgrade, all in-service Rafales are systematically brought to the latest standard via new software releases, to avoid the burden of having ‘fl eets within a fl eet’: as a result, it proves considerably easier to manage confi gurations and training requirements for aircrews and maintainers alike. All Rafale F2s were upgraded to F3 standard. Earlier Rafale F1s, which were equipped with a different central computer and weapons system architecture, are now also being upgraded to F3 standard.

By the end of 2014, 51 Rafale B two-seaters and 46 Rafale C single-seaters had entered service with the French Air Force, and 40 Rafale M carrier-borne fi ghters with the French Navy. Total domestic orders include 132 aircraft for the French Air Force (63 Rafale Bs and 69 Rafale Cs) and 48 Rafale M naval single-seaters for the French Navy.

Advanced airframeRafale designers worked hard to offer front-line users the best compromise between maneuverability, range, weapons-carrying capability, ease of maintenance, resistance to corrosion, and affordability, in terms of both

procurement and operational costs. Besides, the new fi ghter had to be capable of safely operating from the deck of an aircraft carrier: approach speed had to be low and bring-back capabilities generous, to avoid jettisoning into the ocean expensive un-used ordnance at the end of a sortie.

Dassault Aviation engineers were entirely successful in their diffi cult task, producing a fi ghter that has now earned an enviable operational reputation. Using Dassault Systèmes’ acclaimed Catia software, they created 3D digital blueprints, which substancially facilitate production. This computer-assisted design/digital mock-up proved so innovative that Dassault Aviation used the Rafale as a benchmark to enter the digital age, and adopted this new technology for all its new designs, including the Falcon 7X, 8X and 5X business jets. Dassault Aviation and Dassault Systèmes worked hand-in-hand to refi ne the concept and mature the Catia software, which has now been adopted by most automotive companies and aeronautical designers worldwide, including BMW, Mercedes, Honda, Porsche, Toyota, Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier, to name just a few. Even the US Navy and Electric Boat relied on Catia for the design of the Virginia-class nuclear submarine.

Designed as a state-of-the-art warplane capable of

carrying out the entire spectrum of combat missions, the

Dassault Aviation Rafale omni-role fi ghter has matured into a

successful combat tool that has pushed the French Air Force and

Navy into the digital age.

report: Henri-Pierre Grolleau

IN DETAIL


THE FIGHTER

A fabulous view of a Rafale in ‘full

air-to-air’ confi guration with six

MICA missiles and three 1,250-liter

drop tanks. Dassault Aviation/Katsuhiko Tokunaga


Powerful engineFor the Rafale, Snecma designed the M88-2 turbofan, a brand-new engine that would provide plenty of thrust within a small volume, using a limited amount of fuel. The M88-2 also had to be durable, reliable and easy to maintain. Engineers used the latest technologies to achieve high power and low specifi c consumption while keeping dimensions and weight at an absolute minimum to fi t into the Rafale’s compact airframe.

The end result is a remarkably effi cient powerplant that is easy to use: pilots have no throttle movement restriction at any altitude, and they can slam the throttle from idle to full power and back to idle again without any risk of surge, compressor stall or engine fl ameout. The M88-2 is notably reactive, a crucial advantage for dogfi ghts and carrier approaches: the engine requires only three seconds to spool up from idle to full reheat. Like the Rafale’s airframe, the engine is monitored in real time in order to facilitate maintenance and repairs.

While current M88-2 engines are rated at 11,250lb dry and 17,000lb with reheat, M88 demonstrators were run at much higher ratings to prove that the engine could readily be upgraded to satisfy future needs. Two demonstrators, M88 ECO and M88 THEO (Turbine à Haute Effi cacité Optimisée, or

This photo: Dassault

worked hard to

ensure customers

could enjoy the best

compromise between

maneuverability,

range, weapons-

carrying capability,

ease of maintenance,

resistance to corrosion,

and aff ordability.

Dassault Aviation/Katsuhiko Tokunaga

Above: The Rafale

fi nal assembly line in

the Dassault Aviation

facilities at Bordeaux-

Mérignac, France.

Alex Paringaux

Right: French Air Force

technicians re-install a

Rafale’s Snecma M88-2

turbofans following

servicing.

Alex Paringaux

Rafale designers had to

come up with a design

that could operate

from the deck of an

aircraft carrier as well

as from land bases.

Dassault Aviation/S. Randé

Right page: This view

of the Rafale cockpit

shows the man-machine

interface, wide-angle

head-up display, a

central tactical color

display and two lateral

color touch-screens.

Dassault Aviation/Alex Paringaux


high-effi ciency optimized turbine), were successively tested at up to 20,250lb of thrust in full afterburner and 13,500lb in dry power. The development of a higher-thrust variant of the M88 is on hold, however: the French armed forces have no requirement at this time for higher-rated engines as the Rafale is considered powerful enough for all current and future combat operations, even in the heat of the desert, in heavy confi gurations, as demonstrated on a daily basis in Africa and in the Middle East. Current customers and prospects all share the same point of view, meaning that more powerful engines are unlikely to appear this decade. Instead, an incremental approach has been chosen, leading to the improved M88-4E variant that offers a longer engine life thanks to a redesigned high-pressure compressor and a modifi ed high-pressure turbine.

State-of-the-art sensor suite What best characterizes the Rafale’s weapons system is its multi-sensor suite and its advanced data-fusion system. While other nations chose to keep mechanically-scanned radars for their latest fi ghters, France decided to adopt the most recent sensor technology for the Rafale, the choice of electronically-scanned radar later proving to be the right one. Produced by Thales, the RBE2 multi-mode radar can track airborne and surface targets, including ships. It offers high-resolution mapping capabilities and features a terrain-following (TF) mode.

To complement the radar in the air defense role, the Rafale is fi tted with the Front Sector Optronics (FSO) system mounted just ahead of the windscreen. With its powerful TV sensor and its laser rangefi nder, the FSO allows silent interceptions to be performed.

It can also be used as a back-up system in the air-to-surface role.

A fully internal electronic warfare suite has been adopted for self-protection. Called Spectra, it also contributes to the pilot’s situational awareness via its capability to swiftly detect, precisely identify and accurately locate threats. Spectra is innovative in that it utilizes active electronic scanning arrays for jamming. These state-of-the-art antennas can generate exceptionally sophisticated waveforms to defeat the latest sensors and missile threats. Spectra is also one of the very few fast-jet self-defense suites to include laser warning receivers.

The Rafale’s powerful data-fusion system, with extremely precise track correlation, is highly regarded by Rafale pilots and weapons system operators. It fuses and concentrates on a single screen all tactical data drawn from multiple sources — the RBE2 radar, the Spectra EW suite, the FSO, the Link 16 datalink (or proprietary datalinks), and even the Mica air-to-air missile seekers — and signifi cantly reduces aircrew workload.

The Rafale’s man-machine interface has been optimized for ease of use, allowing the aircrew to work in a comfortable yet effi cient fi ghting environment. The fi ghter is equipped with a Martin-Baker Mk16F ejection seat reclined at 29 degrees, a side-stick controller, a wide-angle head-up display, a central tactical color display and two lateral color touch-screens.

Targeting and reconnaissance podsThe Rafale’s sensor suite also includes the Damoclès targeting pod for surveillance, non-traditional intelligence and target designation, and the Pod de Reconnaissance de Nouvelle

‘The Rafale’s powerful data-fusion system, with extremely precise track correlation, is highly regarded by Rafale pilots and weapons system operators’


Génération (Pod Reco NG) for tactical and pre-strategic reconnaissance. Both have been introduced on the F3 standard and they can be carried by all Rafale variants, from land bases or from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. The aging Damoclès will be replaced by the new TALIOS pod from 2018.

When it entered service in 2010, the Pod Reco NG brought new capabilities to the French reconnaissance community. While the Mirage F1CR and the Mirage IVP had both been limited to wet fi lms, the Pod Reco NG pushed the French armed forces into the digital age. It is fi tted with an extremely powerful, high-resolution, dual-band infra-red/visible sensor in a 1,000lb swiveling turret which can rotate through 180 degrees to point in any direction from left to right, allowing vertical or oblique shots to be taken, including of strategic targets from stand-off distances. It is also fi tted with a horizon-to-horizon infra-red sensor optimized for low-level operations. The high-tech pod relies on a broadband datalink system to transmit back in real time all imagery taken during the mission.

Improving the sensor suiteThe fi rst 120 Rafales of the fi rst three production tranches for the French Navy and French Air Force were all delivered with a passive electronically-scanned array (PESA) RBE2 radar, but all Rafales now coming out of the Dassault Aviation production plant in Mérignac, near Bordeaux, are equipped with the new AESA RBE2 radar from Thales. Thanks to constant investments and massive development efforts, Thales managed to

Survivability was taken into account quite early in the Rafale’s development process and the fi ghter relies on low radar cross-section, electronic warfare, maneuverability, and terrain following/terrain masking to evade the threat. Although not entirely stealthy, the Rafale has been treated to off er the smallest radar cross-section: the airframe is carefully shaped to scatter radar signals, while radar absorbent materials were installed to absorb radar energy. The air intake vanes are curved to hide engine compressor blades from hostile radars. Infra-red signature was minimized too, thanks to the so-called ‘Hot Spot’ treatment applied to all sources

of heat, such as the exhaust for the air-conditioning/pressurization pack.

The Rafale, like its Mirage 2000N/D predecessors, uses automatic terrain-following radar or database modes for very low-level/very high-speed penetrations. The need for a TF capability was confi rmed early in the program and it is still considered crucial by French specialists: although no longer practiced for conventional missions in the low-intensity warfare of recent confl icts, low-level fl ying remains an eff ective way to penetrate hostile air defenses and deliver a Scalp cruise missile, or an ASMP-A nuclear missile, undetected.

DODGING THE THREAT

design the fi rst AESA fi ghter radar in full-scale production in Europe. The new antenna was introduced as standard on the production line in 2013, and the advent of the AESA is said to be a key factor leading to the recent successes on the export market in Egypt, Qatar and India.

The design of the AESA was straightforward and was limited to the software and to the array itself. The back end of the PESA radar was kept un-changed, with no costly re-design: the AESA was conceived as a ‘plug and play’ system which can be fi tted to any older Rafale in less than two hours. All current Rafales — upgraded F1s and F2s brought to F3 standard, new-build F3s, or F3-O4Ts — can accept PESA or AESA antennas. The French Air Force actually moves its AESAs around

from one aircraft to another and from one unit to another as required, for example, for a major exercise where air-to-air scenarios will be rehearsed.

For the front-line operators, the AESA offers massively increased search and tracking ranges against all kinds of airborne and surface targets: fi ghters, early warning aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, UCAVs, and even cruise missiles. Although offi cial fi gures refer to ‘range improvements exceeding 50 per cent’, range is understood to have been doubled in certain air-to-air modes. Angular coverage has also been enlarged, from +/-60 to +/-70 degrees, while resolution is thought to be even better in the air-to-surface mapping mode. Resistance to countermeasures has been further ameliorated and reliability has been boosted to unprecedented levels thanks to the AESA’s inherent redundancy offered by the countless transit/receive modules (in excess of 1,000 according to Thales, all precise data being classifi ed). Even if a number of modules fail, the array will retain very high performance levels and no maintenance will be required for considerable periods of time.

On top of the AESA, Tranche 4 Rafales are equipped with two other new systems, the FSO-IT (Improved Technologies) and the DDM-NG, the new-generation missile detector. The FSO-IT comprises an improved TV sensor/laser rangefi nder module. Mounted on each side of the Rafale’s fi n, the two DDM-NG hemispherical staring sensors can spot an incoming missile, determine its trajectory, trigger a decoying sequence, and generate clues so that the pilot can initiate the best-adapted maneuver to evade the threat.

Advanced weaponryThe Rafale is fi tted with an ever-expanding range of precision air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons carried on 14 wing and fuselage stations (13 for the naval Rafale because of the oversized nosewheel).

On top of its internal 30M791 30mm cannon, the Rafale can carry up to eight Mica air-to-air missiles for air defense and air superiority missions. The beauty of the MBDA Mica concept is that two seeker types — infra-red and active radar — are available for the same missile body developed for air combat and beyond visual range interceptions. This translates into easier maintenance and logistics management. With its thrust-vectoring rocket motor and its advanced airframe, the missile has proven incredibly agile, so maneuverable

During trials on the Charles de Gaulle

aircraft carrier in May 2012, this

Rafale M carries a huge war-load

including the Damoclès targeting pod

and a 2,000lb laser-guided bomb.

Dassault Aviation/S. Randé

This CEAM Rafale B carries the Pod de

Reconnaissance de Nouvelle Génération

(Pod Reco NG) for tactical and pre-

strategic reconnaissance. CEAM


in fact that ‘over-the-shoulder’ shots were performed during the operational evaluation. The Mica IR’s extremely sensitive infra-red seeker can be used for passive/covert surveillance and tracking, as a complement to the FSO and the radar.

From 2018, the Mica will be supplemented by the ramjet-propelled Meteor missile, also from MBDA, giving much longer interception reach thanks to improved kinematic performance.

Precision weaponsFor precision strikes, the Rafale is armed with a very wide range of precision air-to-surface conventional weapons, all capable of providing varying military effects. The fi ghter has been cleared to carry a number of weapons from the US Paveway family of munitions:

• GBU-12 Paveway II 500lb laser-guidedbomb

• GBU-22 Paveway III 500lb laser-guidedbomb

• GBU-24 Paveway II 2,000lb laser-guidedbomb

The 500lb GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway bomb has been successfully tested from the Rafale but has yet to fi nd its way into Rafale front-line units. The laser/GPS-guided GBU-49 is currently in service with the French Air Force on its Mirage 2000D attack jets and with the French Navy on the Super Étendard Modernisé carrier-borne strike fi ghter.

Among the most effi cient weapons in the Rafale’s inventory is the Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM, or modular air-to-surface armament), an innovative powered bomb designed and produced by Sagem. Known on the export market as Hammer (Highly Agile, Modular Munition Extended Range), the AASM has proved particularly effective in combat, infl icting crippling blows to enemy forces in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali and Iraq. The Hammer is designed to attack targets at stand-off distances, from low, medium or high level. It is now available in three operational variants, all fi tted with a 500lb-class bomb body as a warhead: SBU-38, with a combined inertial measuring unit/GPS receiver navigation system for all-weather attacks with a 30ft-class accuracy; SBU-64, with a combined infra-red imager/inertial

measuring unit/GPS receiver for day and night attacks with metric precision; and SBU-54, with a combined laser spot tracker/inertial measuring unit/GPS receiver for high-precision strikes against mobile targets.

Nuclear deterrence, stand-off attack and anti-shippingThe Rafale is a central asset of the French nuclear deterrence policy. Armed with the ASMP-A (Air-Sol Moyenne Portée — Amélioré, improved air-to-surface medium range) nuclear cruise missile, both Air Force and Navy Rafales participate in this strategic mission, a cornerstone of French defense policy since the 1960s. The ramjet-powered ASMP-A has been operational on the Rafale since 2010. Compared to the earlier ASMP now withdrawn from use, it offers a considerably longer range, improved agility and increased precision. It can fl y

at Mach 3-plus at high altitude, and Mach 2-plus at very low level, making it extremely hard to intercept. In February 2015, French President François Hollande revealed that 54 ASMP-As were in service, split between the French Air Force and the French Navy. For autonomous navigation, as part of the nuclear deterrence concept, the Rafale is fi tted with two extremely precise Sigma 95 inertial navigation systems provided by Sagem. Should the GPS signal be rendered inoperative, they ensure Rafale aircrews can accurately navigate to carry out their missions.

For conventional deep strike missions against priority, high-value targets, Air Force and Navy Rafales rely on Scalp stealth cruise missiles. These weapons belong to the Scalp/Storm Shadow family jointly developed by France and the UK. The Scalp is designed to hit targets with clinical accuracy at extreme ranges (said to exceed 250nm) and to penetrate hardened structures with its powerful tandem warhead. Its effi ciency has been proven operationally in Libya.

Anti-ship strikes are carried out by Rafales armed with the AM.39 Block 2 Mod 2, the latest variant of the air-launched Exocet missile. For the Block 2 Mod 2, MBDA has developed an all-new digital guidance system that can ‘talk’ to the Rafale’s weapons system. To defeat the latest anti-missile defenses and close-in weapons systems, the sea-skimming Exocet performs violent terminal maneuvers and its seeker is diffi cult to jam and decoy. French Navy pilots routinely practice anti-ship attack profi les, training to locate ‘hostile’ vessels in all types of weathers, day and night. Although their Air Force counterparts do not have an anti-ship mission as such, Armée de l’Air Rafales are fully capable of carrying and launching the Exocet.

In an increasingly unstable world where a growing number of nations have belligerent neighbors, the Rafale has become a powerful and attractive fast jet capable of conducting the whole spectrum of defensive and offensive combat operations. The omni-role fi ghter has matured into a deadly weapons system that has a clear path ahead and that will remain in production for a considerable period of time.

The Rafale’s anti-shipping capability

comes via the AM.39 Block 2 Mod 2, the

latest variant of the air-launched Exocet

missile. Dassault Aviation/F. Robineau

Maintenance is

carried out on

a Rafale’s RBE2

AESA radar.

This aircraft

(C137) was

the fi rst Rafale

equipped with

the RBE2 AESA. Y. Kervel/I3M/

Thales


Unit Base Traditions

ECE 05/330 ‘Côte d’Argent’ Mont-de-MarsanBR 127 ‘Tigre’

BR 128 ‘Scarabée’

EC 1/7 ‘Provence’ Saint-DizierSPA 15 ‘Casque de Bayard’SPA 77 ‘Croix de Jérusalem’SPA 162 ‘Tigre’

EC 1/91 ‘Gascogne’ Saint-Dizier

SAL 28 ‘Eléphant’BR 66 ‘Faucon Egyptien’SPA 37 ‘Charognard’SPA 79 ‘Tête de Loup’

ETR 2/92 ‘Aquitaine’ Saint-Dizier4B3 ‘Hibou’

2e Escadrille GB 1/25 ‘Bison’

EC 2/30 ‘Normandie-Niemen’ Mont-de-MarsanSPA 91 ‘Aigle à Tête de Mort’SPA 93 ‘Canard Col Vert’SPA 97 ‘Fanion aux Hermines’

EC 3/30 ‘Lorraine’ Al DhafraSPA 38 ‘Chardon Lorrain’SAL 56 ‘Scarabée Egyptien’

ARMÉE DE L’AIR RAFALE OPERATORS, MAY 2015THE RAFALE IS progressively becoming the principal combat aircraft in French service. With the successive withdrawal of the Mirage IVP (June 2005), Jaguar (July 2005), and Mirage

F1 (July 2014), the Armée de l’Air now only operates Mirage 2000 and Rafale fi ghters. In mid-2016, the Super Étendard will be retired, leaving the Rafale as the sole combat jet with the Aéronautique Navale.

Marine NationaleThe French Navy led the way in the acceptance into service of the fi rst Rafale fi ghters, the Centre d’Expérimentations Pratiques de l’Aéronautique (CEPA), the French naval aviation operational evaluation center, becoming the initial operator in mid-2000. Today, the CEPA Rafale detachment still fi elds a single Rafale M fi ghter, at Istres, for various research and operational test missions.

Flottille 12F made history when, in May 2001, the former F-8 Crusader unit became the fi rst Rafale squadron at Landivisiau naval air station, Brittany. It was declared fully operational on the new type in June 2004. Flottille 12F initially fl ew F1-standard Rafales for air defense/air superiority missions, but later transitioned to the omni-role-standard F2, then F3 variants. Sister Flottille 11F was declared operational on the Rafale in September 2012. They will be followed by Flottille 17F, which will be declared fully operational on the omni-role fi ghter in September 2017. The three units will take turns operating from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, with two squadrons to deploy at a time and the third to remain in France to provide further training to young pilots straight from Escadron de Transformation Rafale (ETR) 2/92 ‘Aquitaine’, the joint Air Force and Navy training unit at Saint-Dizier. With two squadrons of Rafales on board, Charles de Gaulle will have at her disposal an extremely powerful carrier air group that will stand ready to carry out the whole spectrum of conventional and nuclear missions.

Armée de l’AirThe Armée de l’Air is now the largest Rafale operator with a total of six squadrons spread over three air bases in France and in the UAE:

• Escadron de Chasse et d’Expérimentation (ECE) 05/330 ‘Côte d’Argent’, at Base Aérienne (BA) 118 in Mont-de-Marsan. Part of the Centre d’Expériences Aériennes

Unit Base

CEPA Istres

Flottille 11F Landivisiau

Flottille 12F Landivisiau

MARINE NATIONALE RAFALE OPERATORS, MAY 2015


OPERATING UNITS

Militaires (CEAM, or French Air Force operational evaluation center), the squadron tests all new fast-jet types and variants entering service with the Armée de l’Air, writes operational manuals and develops new tactics. It received its fi rst Rafale in December 2004.

• Escadron de Chasse (EC) 1/7 ‘Provence’, at BA113 Saint-Dizier. ‘Provence’ was selected to become the fi rst front-line Rafale squadron. It now operates single-seat Rafales in air-to-air and air-to-surface roles, with a strong emphasis on air defense/air superiority. It was the fi rst front-line unit to fi eld the active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar.

• EC 1/91 ‘Gascogne’, at Saint-Dizier. In 2009, it became the fi rst unit specializing in the nuclear deterrence role, with ASMP-A missiles, and deep strike missions, with Scalp stealth cruise missiles. It fl ies two-seat Rafale B fi ghters.

• ETR 2/92 ‘Aquitaine’, at Saint-Dizier. This joint training unit staffed by both Air Force and Navy personnel handles all Rafale conversion training for both Marine Nationale

and Armée de l’Air aircrews. It relies on a combined fl eet of Rafale B, C and M variants and uses a comprehensive suite of digital training aids and state-of-the-art simulators.

• EC 2/30 ‘Normandie-Niemen’, at Mont-de-Marsan. Of WW2 fame, this unit re-formed in 2012 as a single-seat Rafale omni-role squadron. It currently serves as a center of expertise in the air-to-surface precision attack and tactical/pre-strategic reconnaissance roles but also handles air-to-air missions.

• EC 3/30 ‘Lorraine’, at BA104 Al Dhafra, in the United Arab Emirates. This prestigious former Free-French Royal Air Force squadron (No 342 Squadron) was selected to become the forward-deployed unit in the UAE and started re-equipping with Rafales in 2011. As such, it was the fi rst French squadron to be involved in the fi ght against Islamic State.

With the re-introduction of escadres (wings) into the Armée de l’Air’s structure, the names of some units may change in the near future. Another Rafale squadron is planned to stand up in 2016, but the recent export contracts may push back these plans.

This photo: The

Rafale has now

become the

backbone of the

French air arms. Armée de l’Air/O.Ravenel


SPEARHEADOF THE FRENCH AIR FORCE AND NAVYreport: Henri-Pierre Grolleau

A French Air Force Rafale

B engaged in Opération

‘Harmattan’ over Libya

in 2011. The aircraft

is fi tted with six live

AASM (Armement Air

Sol Modulaire propulsé)

propelled bombs and live

MICA missiles.

Armée de l’Air/A. Jeuland



Since ‘9/11’, France has been

continuously at war alongside

its American and NATO

partners, taking part in combat

operations against terror groups

in Asia and Africa. Its forces have

been successively engaged in

Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, the

Central African Republic and,

now, Iraq.


AT WAR


COMBAT PROVEN

LIKE ALL MODERN forces, the units of the French Army rely on air power to achieve supremacy and prevail on the battlefi eld. The French Defense Ministry is currently in the middle of a

massive renewal program in respect of its air assets with the successive introduction of the Tigre attack helicopter, the H225M Caracal special forces rotorcraft, the NH90 Caïman anti-submarine/utility helicopter, the A400M Atlas airlifter and, of course, the Rafale omni-role fi ghter. With all these new aircraft, the French forces are more agile, more powerful, and more lethal.

The Rafale is obviously the cornerstone of the new French military doctrine, be it offensive, defensive or deterrent in nature. The fi ghter was fi rst engaged operationally in Afghanistan and has since taken part in the confl icts in Libya, Mali, the Central African Republic and Iraq.

Rafale spearheadThanks to its engagement in Afghanistan, the Rafale matured quickly into a very effi cient omni-role strike fi ghter. With the added pressure of combat operations and of increasing infantry losses, French decision-makers pushed the program forward to make sure that the warfi ghters on the ground would get the fi re support they needed in a timely manner. The French Air Force strike fi ghters, Mirage F1s notably, were by then already showing their age. The aging F1 could not carry a targeting pod and had to rely on ‘buddy-lasing’ from a Mirage 2000D or external designation by a forward air controller. With its small payload and its rather short legs, the Mirage 2000D was not adequate either. More importantly, it lacked an internal gun and was not equipped with the Link 16 datalink. The Rafale solved all these issues: it offered long range, carried up to six precision weapons and a targeting pod, was fi tted with a powerful 30mm cannon and was equipped with Link 16 and with a state-of-the-art electronic scanning radar for situational awareness in a theater where air traffi c control was a constant problem.

At the time, the Rafale had a clear ‘roadmap’ from F1 to F3 standards, but additional capabilities were introduced as part of urgent operational requirements for Afghanistan.

A Rafale B engaged in

Opération ‘Serval’ over Mali

carrying a Damoclès targeting

pod and GBU-12 laser guided

bombs. Armée de l’Air/A. Jeuland


‘This was the fi rst time ever that Rafales went ‘tank-plinking’ with GBU-12 LGBs and Hammer/AASM precision weapons’

Thanks to the Rafale’s proven ‘plug and play’ concept, new systems and weapons were rapidly tested and entered service much earlier than initially anticipated. This was the case for the 500lb GBU-12 and GBU-22 laser-guided bombs (LGBs) of the Paveway family, the Damoclès targeting pod and the ROVER (Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver) system.

All initial teething problems were solved extremely quickly by Dassault Aviation engineers, thus permitting service entry in a speedy manner. This ability to integrate new systems, conduct testing and understand and cure potential issues in the shortest amount of time has always been a major selling point for Dassault products.

Additional capabilitiesFrench Navy Rafale F1s fi rst overfl ew Afghanistan in early 2002 and, in 2007, Rafale F2s started dropping precision weapons in

support of French and foreign troops in contact. After the qualifi cation of the F3 standard, upgraded Rafale F3s were also engaged in Afghanistan, using progressively expanded capabilities and new systems, such as the Pod de Reconnaissance de Nouvelle Génération (Pod Reco NG). The confl ict in Afghanistan undoubtedly helped accelerate the introduction of the Rafale into operational service. Marine Nationale and Armée de l’Air aircrews and engineers de-bugged the fi ghter in combat, refi ned their tactics and gained operational experience that would later prove invaluable in Libya.

Libya The intervention in Libya was the Rafale’s true baptism of fi re, with the type fl ying nearly the whole spectrum of missions it was designed for: air superiority, tactical and strategic reconnaissance, precision strikes, battlefi eld air interdiction, strike co-ordination and

This Image: A Rafale gets

airborne from Kandahar during

Opération ‘Serpentaire’.

Alex Paringaux

Left: A Rafale C eases out of its

shelter at Kandahar toting live

GBU-12s. Alex Paringaux

Below: Opération ‘Harmattan’

saw Rafales operating from

Solenzara in Corsica, and

Sigonella in Sicily, Italy.

Armée de l’Air/W. Collet

Above left to right: A

mixture of Rafale B and Cs

from a variety of units deployed

to Solenzara. Armée de l’Air/O. Ravenel

Pre-strike refueling for a Rafale

B during Opération ‘Harmattan’.

Armée de l’Air/C. Amboise


reconnaissance, and in-fl ight refueling (by suitably confi gured Navy Rafales only). For the fi rst time, the omni-role fi ghter was engaged as a ‘day one entry’ asset against a lethal network of surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems.

The fi rst missions fl own over Libya on March 19, 2011 were carried out by Armée de l’Air Rafale and Mirage 2000-5F/2000D fi ghters: during the very fi rst two raids, French assets established local air superiority, stopped and destroyed an armored column that was threatening Benghazi, and gathered much-needed intelligence, both in terms of pre-strategic imagery, to update the tactical picture, and electronic intelligence, to bring threat libraries (used to program self-protection suites) up to date. This was the fi rst time ever that Rafales went ‘tank-plinking’ with GBU-12 LGBs and Hammer/AASM precision weapons. As the war progressed, they continued destroying an increasing number of artillery emplacements, tanks and armored vehicles, logistics units and storage dumps, and command and control centers. Rafales also performed destruction of enemy air defenses (DEAD) missions with their Hammer/AASM stand-off weapons, using their Spectra electronic warfare suite to accurately identify and locate enemy SAM systems.

French Air Force Rafales were soon joined by their Navy counterparts that operated from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. The nuclear-powered vessel and her escort had taken position in the Gulf of Sirte, just off the Libyan shoreline. Operating not far from the Libyan coast, Navy Rafales fl ew slightly shorter missions than their Air Force counterparts, which took off from Solenzara, in Corsica, and Sigonella, in Sicily, Italy. However, all Rafales relied on French and allied tanker support, and on the aerial refueling assets (other Rafales and Super

Étendard Modernisés — SEM) embedded in the French carrier air group.

Later in the confl ict, Rafales fi red their Scalp stealth cruise missiles for the fi rst time in anger against strategic objectives deep inside Libyan territory, the high-value hardened targets — airfi elds, ammunition dumps, maintenance centers and command centers — being hit with clinical accuracy.

Mali and the Central African RepublicThe enemy offensive in Mali in January 2013 led to an extremely quick French intervention. For the fi rst time, Rafales were forward-deployed to Africa, landing in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, after an epic nine-hour 35-minute fl ight direct from Saint-Dizier in eastern France, during which the four aircraft struck 21 enemy targets in northern Mali. This was the longest mission ever fl own by French tactical fi ghters.

The number of Rafales in N’Djamena peaked at eight aircraft, with the Mirage 2000Ds soon moving to Bamako in Mali, then to Niamey, Niger. Since the mid-1980s, the French base at N’Djamena had accommodated Mirage F1s, Jaguars and Mirage 2000s that kept an eye on the activities of Libya next to the border with Chad and on terror groups in the Sahara. For the French forces, N’Djamena is ideally positioned, mid-way between northern Chad/Niger through where the enemies transit on their way to Mali from Libya, and the Central African Republic (CAR) where French and UN troops are engaged in peacekeeping operations.

From N’Djamena, the French omni-role fi ghters fl ew countless sorties in the area, helping progressively erode the terror groups’ military power in the Sahara. In Mali, the French Air Force soon set up a permanent Link 16 network thanks to transmitters/repeaters on the ground. This has now been

A Rafale M launches from the Charles de Gaulle for

an Opération ‘Harmattan’ mission. It carries a mixed

load of reconnaissance pod and air-to-air missiles.

Marine Nationale


expanded to cover most of northern Mali, Niger and Chad, a huge operating area in which Mirage 2000Ds and Rafales can now plug directly into the Opération ‘Barkhane’ command structure. This helps considerably speed up the OODA (observe, orient, decide and act) loop, allowing enemy elements to be engaged much more rapidly.

The need to gather intelligence on Boko Haram militants led to the recent reinforcement of the Rafale detachment in Chad: the number of fi ghters at N’Djamena, which had gone down to three, was recently pushed back up to four. Such are the stand-off capabilities of the Pod Reco NG that the Rafales can easily peer deep inside Nigeria from Niger and Chad without actually crossing into Nigerian airspace.

IraqThe rapid advances made by the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria led to intervention by a powerful coalition. France, with its forward-deployed squadron of Rafales in the United Arab Emirates — Escadron de Chasse 3/30 ‘Lorraine’, at BA104 Al Dhafra — was among the fi rst to launch raids deep inside Iraq alongside its US partners, fi rst targeting IS support and command infrastructure before switching to combatant units and checkpoints in the desert.

In Iraq, in-fl ight refueling support is provided by an assortment of allied tankers, including Royal Australian Air Force

KC-30As (A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports), marking the fi rst time that Rafales had been refueled by the new tanker in combat. The A330 MRTT has also been selected by the French Air Force and the refueling contacts in Iraq illustrate what the future will hold for the Armée de l’Air.

Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle worked alongside USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the Persian Gulf before relieving the US vessel and thus becoming the duty allied carrier in the area. Her carrier air group — with Rafale and SEM strike fi ghters and E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft — fl ew about 10 to 15 sorties above Iraq every day for two months. After eight weeks of sustained operations, Charles de Gaulle was in turn relieved by USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).

RETEXIn French military parlance, the RETEX (Retour d’Expérience, or return of experience) describes the lessons learned after a combat operation. For the Rafale, the RETEX has been excellent, according to both the Armée de l’Air and the Marine Nationale. Pilots and engineers alike are all enthusiastic about the fi ghter’s performance and reliability over the battlefi eld. The type has proven to be an extremely versatile platform that is easy to use and maintain.

Aircrews unanimously praise the Rafale’s combat effi ciency. With their state-of-the-art

The ability to interact with allied forces has been taken into account since the Rafale program was launched, and the fi ghter complies with the various NATO STANAGS (Standardization Agreements). As a result, the Rafale is fully capable of communicating with NATO aircraft via the Link 16 datalink and via NATO-compatible radios fi tted with a KY-58 secure voice encryption module. Interoperability also extends to the weapons pylons and weapons system, which can accept ordnance from other

nations. French Rafales already fl y with Paveway and Enhanced Paveway laser-guided and GPS-guided bombs, and other stores could be integrated in future to satisfy customers’ needs and demands.

Interoperability extends to carrier operations and the Rafale M variant routinely ‘cross-decks’ on to US Navy super-carriers. They share the same launch bar and arrester hook standards with US Navy Hornets, Super Hornets, Growlers and Hawkeyes.

FULLY INTEROPERABLE RAFALE

Rafale Cs engaged in Opération ‘Serval’ at

N’Djamena air base in Chad fi tted with the

Damoclès targeting pod and GBU-12s.

Armée de l’Air/R. Nicolas-Nelson

This photo: A Rafale C refuels high over

Mali during Opération ‘Serval’ carrying

a Damoclès targeting pod, GBU-12 laser

guided bombs and Mica IR missiles.

Armée de l’Air/R. Nicolas-Nelson

Below left to right: Crews walk out to their

awaiting Rafales at N’Djamena air base in

Chad. Armée de l’Air/A. Jeuland

Armorers load live AASMs for an

Opération ‘Serval’ mission.

Armée de l’Air/A. Jeuland


sensor suite, the pilots — and weapons system operators for the Rafale B two-seaters — have excellent all-round situational awareness: the fi ghter’s sophisticated data-fusion system is a key advantage, as demonstrated in Libya when aircrews knew at all times what was around them. The Rafale’s man-machine interface also attracts a lot of positive comments from the aircrews. The cockpit, with its reclined seat, has proven remarkably comfortable, a crucial advantage during the long missions that are now the norm. Thanks to the type’s datalinks — Link 16 and ROVER — pilots and weapons system operators can easily communicate with other assets on the ground and in the air in order to accelerate the kill chain.

The Rafale’s range has proved to be a crucial advantage, helping alleviate pressure on scarce tanker resources (a common problem for European air arms). While the Jaguar, Mirage F1 and Mirage 2000 could all be considered as rather short-legged, the Rafale is clearly in the ‘champions league’: with more than 5,700 liters (1,506 US gallons) of internal fuel and up to 6,000 liters (1,585 US gallons)

of external fuel, its range is said to be close to that of the F-15 Eagle, an impressive feat for such a compact design. Compared to the Mirage 2000D, the Rafale can carry three times as many precision weapons (six instead of two), giving considerably more fi repower to a combat formation, or allowing the same strike mission to be performed by a smaller number of fi ghters.

Easily supportableDassault Aviation engineers took stringent maintenance requirements into consideration when the Rafale program was launched. The end result is a fi ghter that is remarkably easy to support, even when operating from spartan forward bases or from the deck of the Charles de Gaulle carrier. Mechanics all fi nd the Rafale easy to turn around, maintain and repair. The entire airframe is monitored in real time by a surveillance system that automatically detects and diagnoses faults. This translates into considerably shorter troubleshooting delays.

Time after time, critics had explained that the Rafale would be incapable of operating

from austere bases in Africa that had long been used by less sophisticated Jaguars and Mirage F1s. They were soon proved wrong: the type adapted easily to the hot and sandy African environment. Technicians are keen to point out that in the dry desert environment, the avionics prove even more reliable than in continental France — quite an achievement considering the fact that the Rafale has been regarded as extremely reliable since service entry.

The Rafale is a combat-proven design with thousands of combat sorties and fl ying hours to its credit in fi ve operational theaters. In Libya alone, 1,655 Rafale sorties were logged, including 616 by the Navy and 1,039 by the Air Force, representing 2,364 and 4,569 fl ying hours respectively. The Rafale is currently engaged on three fronts simultaneously, in the Sahara Desert, in the Central African Republic, and in Iraq. It is progressively supplanting older types in an increasing number of missions and has become the lead asset for the French armed forces for high-risk ‘day one entry’ missions in high-threat environments.


With the fi rst export contracts

now signed (Egypt and Qatar)

and announced (India), the

combat-proven Rafale has

entered a new dynamic.

Dassault Aviation engineers

and their French MoD partners

have devised a clear long-term

‘roadmap’ that will ensure a

bright future for the French

fi ghter.


CLEAR UPGRADE PATH

This Rafale is in ‘heavily-armed’

confi guration and features an extensive

weapons load that includes AASM

Hammer and, notably, new MBDA Meteor

missiles. Dassault Aviation/A. Pecchi

CONTINUED EVOLUTION HAS been a key driver for the Rafale program since it was launched: thanks to the ‘plug and play’ concept, new software releases are regularly injected into the

Modular Data Processing Unit (MDPU), the Rafale’s main computer, to progressively expand the fi ghter’s formidable capabilities and improve its man-machine interface in order to reduce aircrew workload even further.

Expanding capabilitiesDassault Aviation and its partners are currently busy testing the Rafale’s F3R standard, which will be qualifi ed in 2018. With F3R, a large number of modifi cations will be introduced to increase the type’s lethality and connectivity on the battlefi eld:

• Adoption of the Meteor air-to-air missile and of the 1,000lb GBU-16 Paveway II laser-guided bomb

• Entry into service of the new Thales TALIOS targeting pod

• Full integration of the SBU-54, the laser-guided variant of the Hammer (Highly Agile, Modular Munition Extended Range) family of precision weapons from Sagem (known in France as AASM, for Armement Air-Sol Modulaire)

• Expansion of Link 16 functionalities to improve interoperability with French and foreign assets

• Amelioration of the Spectra self-defense/electronic warfare suite and of the counter-countermeasure modes of the RBE2 electronic scanning radar


RAFALE FUTURE

not pose any problem. The fi rst series of tests as part of F3R development focused on the Meteor fi re control system and its associated modes, including the fi ghter-to-missile datalink with both the passive (PESA) and active (AESA) variants of the RBE2 electronic scanning radar. Five Meteor integration test fi rings are planned between 2015 and 2017 using propelled and guided rounds fi tted with a telemetry system instead of a warhead, including the fi nal qualifi cation test that will clear the Meteor for service entry on the Rafale in 2018. The fi rst guided fi ring was successfully conducted from Rafale B301 on April 28, 2015, off Biscarrosse, with Dassault test pilot Philippe Duchateau at the controls. With the Meteor, the AESA, the FSO-IT, Spectra and the Link 16, F3R Rafale fi ghters will be equipped with a unique, deadly combination of advanced, extreme-range air-to-air weaponry and sensors.

Air-to-surface ordnanceThe Rafale is equipped with an increasingly varied inventory of air-to-surface munitions, and new precision weapons will be adopted for F3R. As an answer to an urgent operational requirement for the crisis in Mali, the SBU-54 laser-guided variant of the Hammer/AASM family was integrated ‘a minima’ into the Rafale’s weapons system in order to provide an initial operational capability. As part of the F3R development effort, the integration will be completed, thus allowing pilots to take full advantage of the weapon’s impressive capabilities, including the 90-degrees off-boresight long-distance fi ring mode. Testing will be limited to the fi re control system as no new fi ring envelope expansion will be required, the SBU-54 being aerodynamically similar to the earlier SBU-38 and SBU-64 already in service.

When the Mirage F1 was withdrawn from service last summer, the French Air Force lost the capability to deliver its 1,000lb GBU-16 Paveway II laser-guided bomb, leaving a gap between the 500lb GBU-12/22 and the much heavier 2,000lb GBU-24. The Armée de l’Air

had to make a choice between the Mirage 2000D and the Rafale, the latter being favored because two GBU-16s could be carried by the twin-engined fi ghter under its wing pylons compared to only one under the fuselage of the smaller 2000D. At the time of writing, the fi rst GBU-16 fi ring trial was expected imminently.

Targeting and in-fl ight refueling podsDuring the engagements in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali and now Iraq the Rafales have heavily relied on the Damoclès targeting pod, a system that was initially acquired in the 1990s by the French Navy to attack ships at sea, in darkness. The aging pod lacks a TV sensor, a major shortcoming for close air support. This prompted development of a replacement to equip both the Rafale and Mirage 2000D fl eets. Accordingly, Thales was awarded a development contract for this new system in February 2013. Initially christened Damoclès XF but now called TALIOS (Targeting Long-range Identifi cation Optronics System), the new design will closely resemble the current Damoclès, minimizing the need for a costly fl ight envelope expansion. It will offer new functionalities, including air-to-air operating modes that will come in addition to the Rafale’s nose-mounted Front Sector Optronics. The new pod will also offer considerably improved detection, identifi cation and tracking ranges against pinpoint ground and naval targets, in daylight and in the dark. Development fl ights on an instrumented DGA Essais en Vol Mirage 2000D are expected to begin at Cazaux in late 2015/early 2016, with trials on the Rafale to follow from mid-2016 onwards. A comprehensive trials/integration program has been devised to confi rm that the pod remains pointed in the right direction when the Rafale is maneuvering hard and that the laser beam remains powerful enough to illuminate the target and guide the bombs from considerable distances. TALIOS will be tested from the deck of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to ensure it can resist the

Ale

x Pa

ringa

ux

• Adoption of an IFF Mode 5, of a Mode S transponder and of an improved GPS

• Introduction of the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS), with a ground watch mode to boost fl ight safety to unprecedented levels

• Development of refi nements for the Pod Reco NG reconnaissance pod

F3R development is complex and, in all, more than 500 fl ights will be required to test all new systems and associated functionalities. Integration testing started on dedicated benches at Istres in April 2014. Actual fl ight testing began in early July 2014, when Dassault test pilots carried out the fi rst test fl ights with the Meteor fl ight control system. Instrumented two-seat Rafale B301 was the fi rst development aircraft upgraded to F3R for the trials program. Last July, it performed the fi rst F3R development sortie. Last September, it was joined by single-seat Rafale C101, the second instrumented fi ghter brought to F3R standard. Updating the aircraft from F3.4+ to F3R is a straightforward process that takes only a couple of hours for a software upgrade.

Introducing the MeteorSince the launch of the Meteor program, France has taken an active role in the missile’s development effort. The new ramjet-propelled missile has always been intended to be carried by the Rafale to complement the current Mica IR/EM infra-red and radar-guided missiles. It will offer an unprecedented engagement range and a huge no-escape zone against fi ghters, helicopters, airborne early warning aircraft, tankers, cruise missiles and even UCAVs. Initially, it was planned that France would order 200 Meteors, but this fi gure was cut down to only 100, due to budget constraints. However, France retains the option of ‘re-buying’ the further 100 missiles at the same price negotiated in the initial contract.

Meteor trials began with a progressive fi ring envelope expansion during which Rafales released six un-guided and un-propelled Meteors. These tests confi rmed that weapon ejection from the rear-fuselage stations did


violent shocks associated with catapult shots and carrier landings.

French Navy Rafales are often confi gured for the buddy-buddy refueling mission to provide an organic in-fl ight refueling capability to the French carrier air group. They are then fi tted with a dedicated pod under the centerline pylon, and up to four drop tanks (two with 1,250 liters of kerosene and the other two with 2,000 liters each) and four Mica air-to-air missiles for self-defense. The current inventory of Douglas and Intertechnique pods is fast aging, however, and a new acquisition program has been launched to procure a Nacelle de Ravitaillement en Vol de Nouvelle Génération (NARANG, or new-generation in-fl ight refueling pod). Developed by Intertechnique, the NARANG will offer increased fuel fl ow, improved reliability and easier maintainability while retaining an external shape similar to that of the current design. Trials are expected to begin in late 2015 or early 2016 from Istres.

Satisfying exacting customersRafale detractors had always been prompt to point out that the Rafale had never been exported and that its future in this regard looked bleak. Now that the French fi ghter has been sold to two countries, with a contract for a third one pending, critics have been silenced.

Undoubtedly, 2015 started off well for Dassault Aviation: two contracts, with Egypt and Qatar, and an agreement, with India, were announced in less than three months. The fi rst good news came from Egypt, with an order that encompasses 16 Rafale BG two-seaters and eight Rafale EG single-seaters to be delivered between July 2015 and late 2017. Qatar was next when a total of 24 Rafales (six two-seaters and 18 single-seaters) were

‘For the Rafale NG, modifi cations to reduce radar cross-section could be considerably more extensive’

This photo: In-fl ight refueling of a

Rafale from another Rafale fi tted

with a ‘buddy’ refueling pod.

Dassault Aviation/Katsuhiko Tokunaga

Below: A Rafale designing phase in

the Virtual Reality Center (VRC) of

the Dassault Aviation design offi ces

at Saint-Cloud.

Dassault Aviation/A. Février

A Meteor fi tted to the Rafale’s rear

side-fuselage station. Dassault Aviation/V. Almansa

Right page: This Rafale is in ‘full air-

to-air’ confi guration with Meteor

and MICA missiles. Dassault Aviation/V. Almansa


ordered in May 2015, with a further 12 on option. Deliveries are slated to begin in 2018. India has committed itself to 36 Rafales, with further batches likely to be contracted at a later stage. All these 84 fi ghters will come out of the Mérignac assembly line, near Bordeaux, in the coming years. To speed up deliveries, the Rafale production rate, which had hovered at 11 aircraft per year since the beginning of the program, will be increased. In addition, aircraft initially destined for the Armée de l’Air will be diverted to export customers. This will be the case for six Rafales in 2015.

Reasons for successThe reason behind the recent successes can be attributed to several main factors. First of all, the Rafale has been turned into a combat-proven fi ghter with an impeccable track record as successively demonstrated in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, the Central African Republic, and Iraq.

In terms of capabilities and technology, the Rafale has matured into the fully omni-role platform once envisioned by its designers: all air-to-air and air-to-surface missions can be conducted with a single airframe, providing much-valued operational fl exibility at reduced operational costs. All exported variants are to the latest standard, albeit without their nuclear attack capability: they are fi tted with the new active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar, the DDM NG new-generation missile warning system, and the FSO-IT (Front Sector Optronics — Improved Technology).

More importantly, Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation’s new CEO, has put into place an aggressive strategy to seduce export customers. It was strongly supported by the French authorities, including Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian who spared no effort to

secure the three deals. The fall of the Euro against the US Dollar was also very welcome news to Dassault Aviation, with the price of the Rafale falling by about 25 per cent in just a couple of months thanks to a considerably more favorable exchange rate. This had an immediate impact, transforming the fi ghter into an even more affordable asset, in the same price league as its US competitors. The Rafale has always attracted praise for its excellent cost management: while the price tag of other programs has escalated, that of the Rafale has been kept under tight control by Dassault Aviation thanks to lean manufacturing techniques and strict management rules.

Finally, the type has a clear path ahead, with three new standards to be developed in the long term. Today, the Rafale, the F-35 and, possibly, the Gripen NG are the only three Western-world fi ghters with a clear long-term industrial future ahead, while those of the F-15 Eagle, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and even the Eurofi ghter Typhoon are seriously in doubt.

The way aheadThe Rafale is being constantly developed to meet the evolving needs of the French armed forces, a critical commitment to dominate current and future battlefi elds and protect the nation’s industrial base. Beyond the current F3R development effort, Dassault Aviation and its partners are planning three major developments, which will extend Rafale production well into the 2030s:

• Rafale standard F4, with qualifi cation expected around 2023

• Rafale MLU (Mid-Life Update), with development planned to begin around 2024/25 for a qualifi cation in 2030-plus

• Rafale NG (New Generation), with service entry in the 2035-plus timeframe.

For the Rafale F4, various systems are being considered, including upgraded air-to-air missiles to replace the current Mica IR/EM. New radar modes are actively

being developed in order to offer better interleaved functionalities between

air-to-air and air-to-surface search and track patterns, taking full advantage of the AESA technology already in service on French Air Force and French Navy Rafales. The fi ghter’s connectivity with wingmen and within command and control structures will be further enhanced thanks to better capabilities to exchange text, images, and even videos, including via satellite communications. The Spectra electronic warfare/self-defense suite will be refi ned, with the ability to automatically share data within a formation to instantly, and accurately triangulate the location of a threat. Finally, electronic attack modes for the AESA radar are seriously envisioned.

The Rafale MLU would go even further, with conformal multi-band, multi-role antennas and apertures carefully positioned on the airframe to expand radar, electronic warfare and communications coverage around the fi ghter. Engineers are also looking at ways to further reduce the Rafale’s radar cross-section and infra-red signature. This Rafale MLU would have to be capable of closely co-operating with the UCAVs that will equip French and European air arms in the next decade.

For the Rafale NG, modifi cations to reduce radar cross-section could be considerably more extensive. Among the various options now being studied, more powerful engines, a stretched fuselage, a re-worked wing to minimize drag and increase range even further, and directional infra-red countermeasures (DIRCM) to defeat infra-red-guided missile seekers could eventually be adopted.

Dassault Aviation and its partners knew from the very beginning they had designed a powerful, fl exible, reliable, and easily supportable combat tool. They never lost confi dence in their product and worked hard to develop the Rafale into a fully-fl edged omni-role fi ghter. Their perseverance has now been rewarded by the fi rst export contracts, with more likely to follow in the not-too-distant future.


PROGRAM REVIEW • UNITS • COMBAT REPORT • FUTURE PLANS

A pair of Rafales tussles

at medium altitude. The

two-seat Rafale B nearest

the camera is in a mixed

configuration with a pair of

Scalp cruise missiles plus

2,000-liter drop tanks and

MICA missiles, while the

wingman is in full air-to-air

configuration with six MICA

missiles and 1,250-liter drop

tanks. Dassault Aviation/Katsuhiko Tokunaga

Documents

RAFALE Combat Aircraft Monthly Jul 2015 pp24