Dassault Rafale NEWS ONLY

dark sidius said:
We start to have litlle news about the Rafale F-5, it seem to have more powerfull engines , new radar , more elongated wings and conformals tanks

The F5 is not only synonymous with new integrated technologies and a larger device.
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The original text says :
Le F5 n'est pas seulement synonyme de nouvelles technologies intégrées et d'un appareil de plus grande envergure. Il implique aussi des réservoirs conformes pour embarquer un moteur M88 avec une poussée plus importante.
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In French, "envergure" can be translated as "span", but it also has a figurative meaning which, for an airplane, could be translated as "capable" (I haven't found anything better. This is the choice I made in my translation above). In my opinion, it is the figurative meaning that should be given to this word. But I could be wrong.
 
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The last 2 Rafales for Greece were delivered this week (EG 456 and 457).

A total of 6 Rafales were delivered to the HAF over the last 3 months, bringing their fleet to 24 Rafales (12 new build + 12 ex-Armee de l'Air).

Export deliveries appear to be on schedule, with Egypt's EM09 spotted flying at Merignac in October 2024 (first of 30 Rafales from the 2nd Egyptian order).

doureios.com

Στην Τανάγρα το 23ο Rafale - Δούρειος Ίππος

Με ένα ακόμη Rafale, το οποίο προσγειώθηκε σήμερα στην Τανάγρα έχοντας απογειωθεί νωρίτερα το πρωί για το ταξίδι από την Γαλλία, ενισχύθηκε η
doureios.com
 
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F-2 said:
They are the ones who really wanted it way back when
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It’s the same reason they wanted better engines for F-16E/F.

I wonder what concessions they will give the UAE. Freer integration of missiles and weapons?
They already have Denel designed missiles and weapons up for integration.
 
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Rafale production ramped up in 2024:
www.dassault-aviation.com

Deliveries, order intakes and backlog in number of new aircraft as of December 31, 2024 - Press kits

Deliveries, order intakes and backlog in number of new aircraft as of December 31, 2024 (unaudited figures) © Dassault Aviation
www.dassault-aviation.com www.dassault-aviation.com

​
2023​
2024​
Deliveries
13
11 France, 2 Greece​
21
14 France, 6 Greece, 1 Egypt​
Orders
60
42 France, 18 Indonesia​
30
18 Indonesia, 12 Serbia​
Backlog
211​
220
56 France, 80 UAE, 42 Indonesia, 30 Egypt, 12 Serbia​
Total Produced to date
266​
287
178 France, 36 Qatar, 36 India, 25 Egypt, 12 Greece​

Not included above are 24 used Rafale transfers:
2022: 6 to Greece
2023: 6 to Greece, 4 to Croatia
2024: 4 to Croatia
Backlog: 4 to Croatia in 2025

... and 5 prototypes: Rafale A, B01, C01, M01 and M02. Plus 1 fatigue testing airframe (Rafale M47 diverted from the production line).
 
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Rafale 2024 production:
Airframe:
14 for France, 6 for Greece, 1 for Egypt.
Models:
6 are F3R (Greece)
1 is F3 (presumably) for Egypt
14 F4.1 (presumably) for France

It is still unclear if there are conversions among those airframe (especially French ones) or if all those are new built.
 
F3R -> F4.1 upgrades are already well underway, as reported by many sources:

- All Rafale M onboard Charles de Gaulle are now F4.1 standard. The 1st navy squadron (17F) was upgraded in summer 2023 and deployed early 2024 (Akila mission), followed by a 2nd squadron (12F) upgraded in 2024. Both squadrons deployed Nov 2024 for Clemenceau 2025 mission. (source: French navy news releases)

- All 26 new build Rafale B/C delivered since Dec 2022 have been upgraded to F4.1 standard. The first few aircraft were upgraded by DGA CEV teams at Istres, upgrades are now done at squadron level and take about 1 week. (source: DGA news releases)

- A handful of older Rafale B/C at Mont de Marsan have been confirmed upgraded to F4.1 (e.g. C104)... still waiting for more sightings from spotters. (Identifying the upgrade is difficult as the only visual tell is the new Scorpion helmet)
 
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The Greek Air Force has received its twenty-fourth and final Rafale.

www.opex360.com

La force aérienne grecque a reçu son vingt-quatrième et dernier Rafale. Pour le moment ? - Zone Militaire

En janvier 2021, la Grèce confirma la commande de dix-huit chasseurs-bombardiers Rafale F3R auprès de la France, dont douze d'occasion, dans le cadre d'un
www.opex360.com www.opex360.com

Last December, the last of the Rafale F3Rs, bearing the serial number 457, for the record, was received by the Greek Air Force in Mérignac. And this aircraft joined the Tanagra base on January 9.
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Croatia gets 9th Rafale jet under deal with France


NATO member Croatia said in Thursday it has received its ninth Rafale multipurpose fighter jet out of the 12 it had purchased from France for more than 1.15 billion euro ($1.2 billion). By the end of April, the remaining Rafale jets will be delivered to the Croatian Air Force, the country's defence ministry said in a Youtube video. In November 2021, Croatia signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 12 used Rafale F3-R multipurpose fighters and associated logistics support.
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French pilots express their concerns with Rafale coherence in modern warfare*:

Mais l’un de ses passages est susceptible de donner matière à débat. Ainsi, d’après des entretiens réalisés auprès « d’officiers supérieurs » de l’AAE « ayant participé sur Rafale aux exercices pluriannuels Atlantic Trident contre des F-22 et des F-35 », les deux auteurs avancent que « l’asymétrie technologique est désormais franche ».

Et de préciser : « Les pilotes français affrontant régulièrement des chasseurs de 5e génération en exercice interalliés constatent que ‘la mission de combat contre des chasseurs furtifs sur Rafale est impossible à gagner en l’état actuel des capteurs ».
—-------------//---------------

But one of its passages is likely to give rise to debate. Thus, according to interviews conducted with "senior officers" of the AAE "who participated on Rafale in the multi-year Atlantic Trident exercises against F-22s and F-35s", the two authors argue that "the technological asymmetry is now clear".

And to specify: "French pilots regularly facing 5th generation fighters in inter-allied exercises note that 'the combat mission against stealth fighters on Rafale is impossible to win with the current state of the sensors".
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www.opex360.com

Une étude met en garde contre le possible "déclassement" de l'aviation de combat française - Zone Militaire

Lors d'une audition parlementaire, en juillet 2017, alors chef d'état-major de l'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace , le général André Lanata s'était inquiété
www.opex360.com www.opex360.com

We are also reminded that many of the vaunted systems to offset the lack of connectivity, fusion and sensing are still to be fielded.

* download their report here
 
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bulgarianmilitary.com

First Dassault Rafale F4 fighter built for UAE breaks cover

France has just rolled out the first Rafale F4 for the United Arab Emirates, marking a major milestone in the country’s high-stakes fighter jet acquisition.
bulgarianmilitary.com bulgarianmilitary.com
Sounds like a good development but, like the previous report implies, it will probably get a supporter role really soon. France (and UAE) needs something new. (I really like the Rafale though : )
 
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GielHFKWcAA8ORM


https://twitter.com/x/status/1884656518676537683
View: https://x.com/Dassault_OnAir/status/1884656518676537683

Edit:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1884726812238110904
View: https://x.com/blocksixtynine/status/1884726812238110904
 
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www.opex360.com

Une étude met en garde contre le possible "déclassement" de l'aviation de combat française - Zone Militaire

Lors d'une audition parlementaire, en juillet 2017, alors chef d'état-major de l'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace , le général André Lanata s'était inquiété
www.opex360.com www.opex360.com

Other passages from the article...

That being said, this matter of “sensors” is challenging. If an aircraft like the F-35 can be “invisible” for certain means of detection [this is not a priori the case for passive radars and it depends on the frequency bands used], its infrared signature – with its F engine -135 – can betray him. The IR channel of the Front Sector Optronics [OSF] of the Rafale would be able to detect it face to face, subject, however, to weather conditions.

Incidentally, the Rafale will soon be equipped with an improved OSF, the Directorate General of Armaments having recently carried out tests on a new optic on the infrared channel of the OSF, this being supposed to improve the “image quality of the Night Identification function”.

This development will be accompanied by the integration of the Link 16 block 2, the CONTACT software digital radio as well as that of the TRAGEDAC systems [which will give the Rafale a passive target location capacity thanks to networking of the aircraft. the same patrol, editor's note] and CAPOEIRA [for improved connectivity for Rafale developments].
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Yes but the missile lock occurs only while the target slip in the center quadrant. IR missile would have locked earlier (see how uncaged AIM-9 behave).
Notice that the radar is tracking the target already at the beginning of the video. There is also only the right missile available (see at the bottom right of the HUD the letter R* and then how it is circled as soon as the missile lock occurs). It suggests an other missile of the same type was already expanded.

But I think it's an M2K gun cam. Not that I am updated on all this. Some Sim players might get even a more appropriate answer.

*if two missiles were available, usually mounted symmetrically under the plane, both the letters L and R would be visible at the bottom of the HUD when the pilot selects the type of missile.
 
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TomcatViP said:
Yes but the missile lock occurs only while the target slip in the center quadrant. IR missile would have locked earlier (see how uncaged AIM-9 behave).
Notice that the radar is tracking the target already at the beginning of the video. There is also only the right missile available (see at the bottom right of the HUD the letter R* and then how it is circled as soon as the missile lock occurs). It suggests an other missile of the same type was already expanded.

But I think it's an M2K gun cam. Not that I am updated on all this. Some Sim players might get even a more appropriate answer.

*if two missiles were available, usually mounted symmetrically under the plane, both the letters L and R would be visible at the bottom of the HUD when the pilot selects the type of missile.
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The radar can scan quite a wide array generally, see following symbology for F-15C:

forums.mudspike.com

DCS F-15C Combat Guide for Beginners

DCS F-15C Combat Guide for Beginners By @Sryan - June 9, 2016 Originally published at: Articles - Mudspike Forums Mudspike contributor Bryan AKA Sryan first added this excellent DCS F-15 Guide in our forums and we felt it deserved the biggest audience possible, so we’ve added it as a...
forums.mudspike.com forums.mudspike.com

1739290708178.png
 
Sintra said:
No.
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That's unfortunate.

Edit: Defense Updates has put out a video about the arrival in Ukraine of their new donated Mirage 2000s:


The Ukrainian Air Force has received its first Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter jet, as confirmed by statements from the defense ministries of France and Ukraine. This marks Ukraine’s second acquisition of a Western-made fighter aircraft, following the arrival of the F-16 last summer.On Twitter, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu officially announced the arrival of the first Mirage 2000 in Ukraine.
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Lecornu noted that French President Emmanuel Macron had announced plans to transfer an undisclosed number of these fighters to Ukraine on June 6, 2022, as reported at the time.He added, “With Ukrainian pilots trained for several months in France on board, they will now be helping to defend the skies over Ukraine”
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In this video, Defense Updates analyzes the impact of Ukraine getting French Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters.
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#defenseupdates #mirage2000 #ukrainewar
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Chapters:
00:11 INTRODUCTION
01:51 A GROWING FLEET OF WESTERN FIGHTERS
03:19 MIRAGE 2000 OVERVIEW
05:46 MIRAGE 2000’s KEY ARMAMENT
07:25 ANALYSIS
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It's high time. Not enough Rafales, more exactly : delivery rates are too few, too slow. Even more with the 2000-5Fs passed to Ukraine.
The fighter fleets are now only three
-Rafale
-2000D
-2000-5F
Everything else has been retired.
Same for the French Navy, situation not as disastrous as the RN, but no more margins to execute the required missions; negative margins, actually. Not enough ships by large, not enough frigates.
We have a lot of former soldiers at France Fights On forum, and they are really pissed off.
 
France would be better buying 30+ F-35 instead of more Rafale that would take years to come online and will probably need an upgrade soon after.
F-35 are immediately integrable with the combined allied forces, leading to a greater effects per Euro invested, at a time of urgency.

Then, the fact that those M2K-9 are hanging around on the market, presumably going for Morocco, is a waste of resources. They could be nearly immediately integrated and used to solidify France battle ready force. Just size them as soon as they are for sale.

But indeed, some reforms and legal adjustments are needed that never something like the Macron incredible garage sale could ever happen again.
 
Getting my previous post deleted was out of order, my post was directly in response to a reason why F35's were a dubious idea and in context to Rafale purchases. If my post was to be deleted so should the instigator post then as just as off topic if you are treating it that way. As far as I am aware this group isn't run like a Musk managed forum?
 

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