The Dassault Rafale is a multirole, all-weather, supersonic fighter aircraft, which was designed and developed by Dassault Aviation of France. It is currently in service with both the French Air Force and the French Navy. Therefore, it can operate from both an aircraft carrier and from an airbase on land. Not only is the Rafale a very maneuverable and versatile fighter, but it is also able to carry out all combat aviation missions: air superiority (as a fighter), air defense (as an interceptor), close air support and land strikes (in ground-attack missions), anti-ship strikes, nuclear deterrence, and reconnaissance. It is worth mentioning that this warplane is 100 per cent the product of the French aviation and defense industry. By 2030, it will completely have replaced the Mirage 2000.
Although the Dassault technology demonstrator for the future Rafale combat aircraft had made its maiden flight in 1986, the first Rafale prototype C01 first flew on May 19, 1991. This was a single-seat model which would enter service with the French Air Force in 2006 as the Rafale C, operating from land airbase. The prototype B01 first took to the air on April 30, 1993; this was a two-seat aircraft that would become the French Air Force trainer. Meanwhile, the M01 model was also a two-seat prototype, which first flew on December 12, 1991; it would be introduced into service with the French Navy on May 18, 2001, as the Rafale M. Since then, this French multirole fighter has been exported to several countries, which include Greece, Egypt, and India. In 2011, the French Air Force version took part in the NATO air raid against Libya, and in 2016 it carried out strike missions against ISIS in Syria.
Technical Description
The Dassault Rafale C is a single-seat, twin-twin engine monoplane built with an all-metal, monocoque fuselage. It has delta wing, with clipped tip, and movable canard set up above and in front of the wing leading edge. This design configuration and the materials employed to build it give the Rafale excellent maneuverability, making it able to withstand up to 9G forces during air maneuvers. The aircraft is fitted with a comfortable cockpit, with bubble-type glass canopy; it has a central computer that select flight and combat information and display it to the pilot on screens. The cockpit computer has an integrated direct voice input system which allows the pilot to control the aircraft and weapon system through voice command.
Specifications (Rafale C)
Type: multirole fighter
Crew: 1
Length: 15.27 m (50 feet, 1 inches)
Wing Span: 10.90 m (35 feet, 9 inches)
Wing Area: 45.7 m2 (492 square feet)
Height: 5.34 m (17 feet, 6 inches)
Power Plant: two 11,255-lb-thrust SNECMA M88-4e turbofan engines, with afterburner.
Maximum Speed: Mach 1.8 (2,233 km/h)
Combat Radius: 1,850 km (1,150 miles)
Range: 3,700 km (2,300 miles)
Rate of Climb: 304 m/s
Service Ceiling: 15,835 m (51,952 feet)
Avionics: Thales RBE2-AA AESA radar
Armament: one 30-mm GIAT-30 automatic cannon; bomb-load capacity of 9,500 kg (20,900-lb) to carry Magic II and MBDA Meteor air-to-air missiles, MBDA Apache and SCALP-EG air-to-ground missiles; AASM Hammer smart bombs.
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| Above, you can see the belly of the Rafale C version as it banks to change course. |
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| The French Rafale laden with AASM Hammer bombs and one SCALP-EG air-to-ground missile. |
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| The underside of the French aircraft as it flies over during the 2023 Paris Airshow. |
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| Two French Air Force Rafale C aircraft in flight. |
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| Front view of the Rafale in flight. |