The Dassault Rafale has the firm support of the French Government that has placed orders for 120 aircraft and has made a commitment for another 180. Apart from Dassault, technologies incorporated in the Rafale are the most advanced in the world and the programme is supported by the leading global aerospace and defence majors in Europe such as Snecma and Thales.

Of a moderat e size, yet extremely powerful, superbly agile and very discrete, the latest type of combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation does not only integrate the largest and most modern range of sensors, it also multiplies their efficiency with a technological breakthrough, the “multi-sensor data fusion”. In the Rafale, Dassault has designed and produced a combat platform which meets or even exceeds the defined parameters of each type of mission. The aircraft has exhibited remarkable survivability rate during the recent operations by the French Air Force and the French Navy, thanks to an optimised airframe and to a wide-range of smart and discrete sensors. Versatile and regarded as a true force multiplier, the Rafale is slated to be the prime combat aircraft for the French armed forces until 2040 at least. Apart from Dassault, technologies incorporated in the Rafale are the most advanced in the world and the programme is supported by the leading global aerospace and defence majors in Europe such as Snecma and Thales.

Meanwhile, engineering work is already being done to further extend the air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities. The ongoing effort will ensure more robust detection, tracking and identification of emerging air-to-air threats and increase the aircraft’s survivability with new low observable modes and with the latest advances in electronic warfare systems. Air-to-surface capabilities could benefit from assisted target recognition and enhanced sensor resolution enabling the combat platform to attack ever more elusive targets. The Rafale was developed taking into account a joint requirement projected by the French Air Force and the French Navy for an omni-role combat aircraft that would replace the seven types of fighter aircraft in service at that time. When developed, the Rafale was expected to carry out a wide-range of missions as follows:

• Air defence
• Air superiority/air dominance
• Reconnaissance
• Close air support
• Air-to-ground precision strike
• Interdiction
• Anti-shipping strike
• Nuclear strike

Operational Deployment

Over the last few decades, air forces have always been the first military component engaged in all crises or conflicts from the Falklands to the Gulf, from Bosnia to Kosovo, in Afghanistan and more recently in Libya.

Military aviation is undoubtedly the strategic weapon of choice today both in terms of combat effectiveness and of critical technologies incorporated in combat platforms. In modern warfare, from day one, air dominance is a pre-requisite so that air-to-ground and air-to-sea operations can be conducted safely and efficiently. In the course of asymmetrical and counter-insurgency conflicts, the air arm also remains at the forefront of the military effort, its flexibility and firepower helping to ensure that allied forces prevail. The 9/11 events have shown that in peacetime it is essential to secure the national airspace with easily deployable control and air defence assets. The decisive place of the air component in modern warfare is demonstrated by the defence strategies decided by those nations who want to keep a leading role on the world stage.

According to the French Air Force Adviser, General Herve Longuet, based on its deployment and performance in Afghanistan and Libya, the Rafale is ‘combat proven’. Since 2006, Rafale aircraft of the French Air Force and the French Navy have been engaged in countless combat missions in Afghanistan where they have demonstrated very high proficiency. The AASM precision-guided modular air-to-surface weapons systems, laser-guided bombs and the 30mm cannon have been successfully employed on many occasions scoring direct hits with remarkable precision. More recently, the Rafale fighters have been engaged in operations over Libya as part of the coalition forces. “During the Libyan campaign, the Rafale has proved its versatility. When some of our allies need two or three different planes for different missions, we can perform all missions with only one aircraft type,” added General Herve Longuet.

Lessons learned from the recent conflicts where air power was used can be summarised into four overarching expectations about weapon systems by political decision-makers:

• Versatility: The capability of the combat platform to perform different missions.
• Interoperability: The ability to undertake operations in coalition with the allies using common procedures and agreements, collaborating and communicating in real time with other systems.
• Flexibility: The ability to conduct different missions in the course of the same sortie. With this capability, it is possible to switch mission objectives instantly on demand from the political and military leadership.
• Survivability: The capability to survive in a dense and hostile threat environment owing to stealth features and/or advanced electronic warfare systems.

The Rafale combines all these attributes and is relevant against both traditional and asymmetrical threats. It addresses the emerging needs of the armed forces in a changing geopolitical context and remains at the forefront of technical innovation.