What You Need to Know – The Dassault Rafale is a 4.5-generation French multirole fighter, designed for air superiority, ground attack, reconnaissance, and nuclear deterrence. Featuring a delta wing and canard design, AESA radar, and advanced electronic warfare systems, the Rafale is highly maneuverable and stealth-enhanced.
-Powered by two Snecma M88 engines, it achieves Mach 1.6 and can supercruise with a full weapons load.
-The Rafale has proven combat effectiveness in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, and Mali. It has been successfully exported to several countries, including India, Egypt, and the UAE, solidifying its reputation as one of the most capable non-stealth fighter jets in the world.
THOSE 4 Words: Best Fighter Not Stealth?
Dassault Rafale: The Fighter Jet Taking the World by Storm
The Dassault Rafale is a 4.5 generation French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. The Rafale, meaning “burst of fire” in French, is called an “omni-role” aircraft by Dassault.
The Rafale can carry a variety of weapons aimed at conducting air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strikes, anti-ship strikes, and nuclear deterrence missions.
Unlike other European fighters, the French built this aircraft entirely domestically. There are three primary variants: the Rafale C single-seat land-based version, the Rafale B twin-seat land-based version, and the Rafale M single-seat carrier-based version.
The Dassault Rafale’s Design
The Rafale was originally part of the Eurofighter Project that became the Typhoon. France withdrew from the project and decided to design and develop a fighter, preserving aircraft designs and technology within France.
The Rafale uses a delta wing with an active close-coupled canard to maximize maneuverability. The aircraft can withstand from −3.6 g to 9 g (a maximum of 11g can be reached in an emergency).
The RBE2 AA active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar now replaces the previous passively scanned RBE2. The RBE2 AA is reported to deliver a greater detection range of 200 km, which allows the craft to search for and lock down targets in coordination with frontal “infrared search and track” sensors.
The Dassault Rafale is fitted with two Snecma M88 engines, each capable of providing up to 50 kilonewtons (11,000 pounds-force) of dry thrust and 75 kN (17,000 lbf) with afterburners.
The engines feature a non-polluting combustion chamber, single-crystal turbine blades, powder metallurgy disks, and technology to reduce radar and infrared signatures. The M88 enables the Rafale to supercruise while carrying four missiles and one drop tank.
The Rafale is typically equipped with 14 hardpoints for carrying various weapons and has a maximum external load capacity of nine tons. In addition to the above equipment, it holds the 30 mm GIAT 30 revolver cannon and can be loaded with a range of laser-guided bombs and ground-attack munitions.
The Rafale Specs:
-Size: The Rafale is 15.27 meters long (50 ft 1 in), 5.34 meters high (17 ft 6 in), and has a wingspan of 10.90 meters (35 ft 9 in).
-Weight: The Rafale’s empty weight is 9,850–10,600 kg, and its maximum takeoff weight is 24,500 kg. (54,013 lb)
-Speed: The Rafale has a maximum speed of Mach 1.6.
-Service ceiling: The Rafale has a service ceiling of over 15,240 meters, or 50,000 feet.
-Fuel: The Rafale has an internal fuel capacity of 4.7 tons and can carry up to 6.7 tons of external fuel.
-Engines: The Rafale is powered by two M88 turbofan bypass engines.
-Weapons: The Rafale can carry various weapons, including the Meteor air-to-air missile, the SCALP EG cruise missile, and the Exocet AM39 Block 2 Mod 2 air-to-surface missile.
-Sensors: The Rafale has a suite of smart sensors, including the SPECTRA electronic warfare system, which provides threat warnings against missiles, lasers, and hostile radars.
Dassault Rafale’s Combat Record:
The Dassault Rafale has an excellent combat record, having served in conflicts in several areas. She had her baptism of fire in 2007 after taking off from the carrier Charles de Gaulle, and Rafales dropped GBU-12 Paveway bombs on Taliban positions that were attacking beleaguered Dutch troops in the NATO mission.
Rafales also served in Iraq, Libya, and in the former French colony of Mali in 2013 during Operation Serval, where French forces intervened for the government of Mali that was combating Islamist forces al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Dine and the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO).
The French have successfully marketed the Rafale, and it is currently being used in India, Egypt, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Serbia. Other potential countries that the Rafale has either been procured or soon will include Brazil, Bangladesh, Colombia, Malaysia, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 1945, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.
