02-08-2025
France to unveil multi-purpose latest version of Rafale fighter jet with ultramodern features, its name..., features include...
New Delhi: France is going to make its Rafale fighter aircraft more powerful. Dassault Aviation, the company that makes Rafale, is working on a new version of the jet. The French Armed Forces Ministry says that the DGA has also completed a major campaign to review the operational capabilities of the new Rafale F4.3. This campaign was conducted at the DGA flight test centre in Istres. This is an important step for Dassault Aviation. What was the RAU review campaign?
According to the report, the purpose of the RAU review campaign was to test the Rafale F4.3 for real missions. This test included several missions like air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea. These focused on system performance, sensor fusion, weapons integration and improved connectivity. This was a necessary phase to validate technical improvements before the F4.3 configuration. Why is the new Rafale special?
Dassault's Rafale is a twin-engine, delta-wing, multi-purpose fighter jet. Rafale is equipped with two Snecma M88-4E engines, which are capable of super cruise. It offers a high thrust-to-weight ratio and strong performance at all altitudes. It is equipped with Thales RBE2-AA AESA radar, SPECTRA electronic warfare suite and OSF infrared search and track system.
Rafale has been designed with 70% composite materials to reduce radar and infrared signals. Rafale can carry up to 9.5 tonnes of weapons on a 30 mm GIAT 30 cannon and 14 hardpoints. This includes MICA and Meteor air-to-air missiles, SCALP-EG cruise missiles, Exocet anti-ship missiles and ASMP-A nuclear missiles. What are the features of Rafale Jet 4.3?
The new 4.3 standard Rafale has been designed to carry the new generation MICA NG air-to-air missile. The aircraft will be equipped with an advanced SPECTRA self-defence system, contact software radio and TALIOS nacelle. It will be equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. It will also have a self-target identification mode.
Rafale F4.3 is capable of assessing the real-time operational capability of onboard systems, tactical communications and sensor suite. Its initial review campaigns will serve as a baseline for the remaining phases and will help move towards full qualification of the Rafale F4.3 standard. This is an important step in France's defence capabilities.
