Dassault’s Rafale F4 standard launched
Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, received the F4standard development contract for the Rafale combat aircraft on 14 January 2019 during the visit to Dassault Aviation Mérignac plant by Florence Parly, French Minister of the Armed Forces.
The F4 standard is part of the process to continuously improve the Rafale in line with technological progress and operational experience. The F4 standard comes in the wake of standards F1 (specific to the first aircraft of the French Navy), F2 (air-toground and air-to-air capabilities), F3 and F3R (extended versatility).
Eric Trappier said that “In our role as industrial architect, we will be responsible for implementing innovative connectivity solutions to optimise the effectiveness of our aircraft in networked combat (new satellite and intra- patrol links, communication server, software defined radio). New functions will also be developed to improve the aircraft’s capabilities (upgrades to the radar sensors and front sector optronics, helmet-mounted display capabilities), and new weapons will be integrated (Mica NG air-to-air missile and 1,000-kg AASM Airto-Ground Modular Weapon). Lastly, with regard to availability, we are working under a through-life support contract which will become more top-down under the authority of the aircraft manufacturer.
Validation of the F4 standard is planned for 2024, with some functions becoming available in 2022.
An ‘omnirole’ aircraft, able to operate from land bases or an aircraft carrier, capable of carrying 1.5 times its weight in weapons and fuel, the Rafale has been designed to perform the full spectrum of combat aircraft missions: Interception and air-to-air combat using, Mica IR/EM missiles and Meteor missiles; close air support using a 30-mm gun, GBU laser-guided bombs and AASM GPS-guided bombs; deep strike using Scalp-Storm Shadow cruise missiles; maritime strike using the Exocet AM39 Block 2 missile and other air-to-surface weapons; real-time tactical and strategic reconnaissance using the Areos pod; buddybuddy in- flight refueling and Nuclear deterrence using the ASMP-A missile.