Rafale Fighter Jet: Specs, Price, and Capabilities

Modern fighter jets today are not just flying machines but are a power house of latest aviation technologies that took decades to perfection. Fighter jets today are all weather, capable of night attacks, having enhanced radars and electronic sensor suits, capable of carrying wide variety of long range air to air missiles, smart bombs and air to surface cruise missiles as well as electronic jamming equipment that can jam enemy radars from stand off ranges allowing perform operations without having to enter into hostile airspace.

Rafale fighter jet is one of the most modern 4th generation fighter aircraft that can carry wide range of munitions and offers superb range and maneuverability.

French air force rafale fighter jet
A Rafale fighter carrying the ASMPA missile under its fuselage | French Ministry of Defence

What is the Rafale Fighter Jet? A Brief Overview

Rafale fighter jet also known as “Omnirole fighter” is manufactured by Dassault Aviation in France. It is a 4.5 generation, multi role, twin engine fighter jet. It offers a delta wing design offering superb maneuverability, increase weapons load and superior handling at both subsonic and supersonic speeds.

In the late 1970s, France, Italy, Spain and UK joined hands to manufacture a multi role aircraft “Future European Fighter Aircraft, which would later become Eurofighter Typhoon.

Subsequent disagreements and differences in requirements led France to pursue it’s own fighter jet program which later resulted in  manufacturing of Rafale.

Contradictory to Euro fighter Typhoon aircraft, the Rafale was built completely within France. All of major defense contractors in France such as Dassault, Thales and Safran were involved in design and development of all systems of the aircraft.

Rafale Fighter Jet: Technical Specifications and Performance

Rafale fighter jet is 4.5 generation multi role aircraft. With it’s twin jet engines it can fly at supersonic speeds of up to mach 2. It can fly as high as 60,000 ft. Interestingly, the twin jet engines can push rafale fighter jet to climb up to 60,000 fit in just 1 minute making the climb rate closer to that of F-22 Raptor.

Dimensions:
Wing span: 10.90 m
Length: 15.30 m
Height: 5.30 m

Weight:
Overall empty weight: 10 t (22,000 lbs) class
Max. take-off weight: 24.5 t (54,000 lbs)
Fuel (internal): 4.7 t (10,300 lbs)
Fuel (external): up to 6.7 t (14,700 lbs)
External load: 9.5 t (21,000 lbs)

Performances
Max. thrust: 2 x 7.5 t
Limit load factors: -3.2 g / +9 g
Max. speed: M = 1.8 / 750 knots
Approach speed: less than 120 knots
Landing ground run: 450 m (1,500 ft) without drag-chute
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft

Armament and Weapon Systems of Rafale fighter jet

Rafale can can wide variety of advance weapons including bombs, air to ground missiles, cruise missiles, air to air weapons, anti ship missiles, fuel tanks and different sensors on it’s 14 hard points in different configuration depending on the mission requirement. It is also equipped with a 30 mm NEXTER 30M791 gun with firing rate of 2500 rounds per minute. Rafale can be configured to carry out air to air and air to ground missions in the same sortie making it an omnirole fighter jet.

In air to air configuration, it can carry MICA air to air BVR missiles, MAGIC air to air missiles and METEOR very long range BVR (Beyond Visual Range) air to air missiles along with three fuel tanks (2 under wing and 1 center point fuel tank). It makes rafale ideal  for conducting long range, long endurance combat air patrol missions, air policing and air dominance fighter.
Here is a list of weapons rafale can carry.

Air to Ground Weapons

  1. MBDA SCALP-EG long range subsonic air to ground cruise missile.
  2. MBDA ASMP-A long range supersonic air to ground nuclear missile.
  3. MBDA AM-39block 2 Mod 2 Exocet Medium range antiship missile.
  4. SAGEM 250 KG subsonic medium range air to ground missile.
  5. SAGEM 1000 KG subsonic medium range air to ground missile.
  6. Raytheon Paveway 2 laser guided bomb
  7. Raytheon 250 KG GBU-12 paveway 2 laser guided bomb
  8. Raytheon 250 kg GBU-49/B paveway 2 bomb
  9. Raytheon 500 kg GBU-16 paveway 2 laser guided bomb
  10. Raytheon 1000 kg GBU-10 paveway 2 laser guided bomb
  11. Raytheon 1000 kg GBU-24 paveway 3 laser guided bomb
  12. General dynamics 250 kg MK-82 free fall bomb
  13. General dynamics 500 kg MK-83 free fall bomb
  14. General dynamics 1000 kg MK-84 free fall bomb

Air to Air Weapons

  1. MBDA MICA EM short range air to air missile
  2. MBDA MICA IR short range air to air missile
  3. MBDA Meteor Air to Air long range missile
  4. DRDO ASTRA Mk2 medium range air to air missile (planned)
  5. MBDA MICA IR NG short range air to air missile (under development)

Electronic Warfare Capabilities of the Rafale Jet

Radar plays a crucial role in any modern fighter aircraft. It detects, tracks objects both in the air and on the ground and provides real time information to the pilot and ground control systems as well as other friendly aircraft. Rafale is equipped with Thales RB-E2 AA (Active Array) AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) multirole radar that enables rafale to detect and track multiple

RBE2-AA AESA radar offers enhanced situational awareness, realtime 3D maps generation for terrain following and high resolution ground maps for navigation and targeting and 200km detection range enabling rafale to detect and track multiple air to air and air to ground targets.

An upgraded version RBE2 XG radar is under development that will offer improved situational awareness, data links and longer range.

Varients of the Rafale Jet

Rafale A: Rafale A was the technology demonstrator. It first flew in 1986.

Rafale B: Rafale B is two seater version developed for French Air Force

Rafale C: Similar to Rafale B, the Rafale C is developed as single seat fighter for French Air Force.

Rafale D: Rafale D was produced with semi stealth features in early 1990.

Rafale M:
Rafale M is designed for French Navy to operate from aircraft carriers. It has strengthened lending gear, strengthened airframe with longer nose, a tailhook and built-in boarding ladder for pilot. It weighs slightly more than the air force variant.
Moreover, rafale jets produced for each country carries a separate version name.

RBE2-AA AESA radar offers enhanced situational awareness, realtime 3D maps generation for terrain following and high resolution ground maps for navigation and targeting and 200km detection range enabling rafale to detect and track multiple air to air and air to ground targets.

An upgraded version RBE2 XG radar is under development that will offer improved situational awareness, data links and longer range.

Countries Operating Rafale Jet

Rafale has been inducted in 6 countries including France, Greece, Egypt, Qatar, UAE and India and Croatia.

Reference

Official page for Dassault Rafale

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