(Dassault) Rafale @·AIRCRAFTUBE

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Dassault Rafale

The Dassault Rafale (in English, the Squall) is a French twin-engined delta-wing highly agile multi-role fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. The Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based naval operations with the French Navy. It has also been marketed for export. While several countries have expressed interest in the Rafale, there have been no foreign sales as of yet.

In the mid 70s, both the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) and Navy (Aéronavale) had a requirement (the Navy's being rather more pressing) to find a new generation of fighter (principally to replace AdlA SEPECAT Jaguars and Aéronavale F-8 Crusaders), and their requirements were similar enough to be merged into one project.

The Rafale A technology demonstrator was rolled out in late 1985 and made its maiden flight on 4 July 1986. The SNECMA M88 engines being developed were not considered sufficiently mature for the initial trials programme to be conducted without risk (though their development status has often been underplayed), so the demonstrator flew with General Electric F404-GE-400 afterburning turbofans as used on the F/A-18 Hornet. Production orders were placed in 1988.

Further testing continued, including carrier touch-and-go landings and test-flying early M88 engines, before the Rafale A was retired in 1994. Though the Rafale A and British Aerospace EAP were broadly comparable, when the first Eurofighter made its maiden flight in March 1994, pre-series Rafales had been flight-testing for three years, including carrier trials (Rafale C01, Rafale M01, and Rafale B01 first flew in May 1991, December 1991, and April 1993 respectively). Three versions of Rafale were in the initial production order:

  • Rafale C (Chasseur) Single-seat fighter for the AdA (Armée de l'Air, French Air Force).
  • Rafale B (Biplace) Two-seat fighter for the AdA.
  • Rafale M (Marine) Single-seat carrier fighter for the Aéronavale.

The prototype Rafale C flew in 1991, the first of two Rafale M prototypes flew later that year. The prototype Rafale B flew in early 1993, and the second Rafale M prototype flew later that year. Catapult trials were initially carried out between July 13 and August 23, 1992 at NAS Lakehurst in New Jersey, USA and NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, USA, as France had no land-based catapult test facility. The aircraft then undertook trials aboard the carrier Foch.

Initially the Rafale B was to be just a trainer, but Gulf War and Kosovo experience showed that a second crewmember is invaluable on strike and reconnaissance missions, and therefore more Rafale Bs were ordered, replacing some Rafale Cs. 60% of the aircraft will be two seaters. A similar decision was made by the Navy, who initially did not have a two-seat aircraft on order; the program nevertheless was stopped.

Political and economic uncertainty meant that it was not until 1999 that a production Rafale M flew.

At one time the French forces were expected to order 294 Rafales: 232 for the Air Force and 60 for the Navy. But as time passed, these number dropped and to date 120 Rafales have been officially ordered. These are being delivered in three separate batches.

The marine version has priority since the aircraft it is replacing are much older Vought F-8 fighters. Service deliveries began in 2001 and the type "entered service" on 4 December 2000, though the first squadron, Flotille 12, did not actually reform until 18 May 2001. The unit embarked on the Charles de Gaulle in 2002, becoming fully operational on 25 June 2004, following an extended opeval (operational evaluation) which included flying limited escort and tanker missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan. Though restricted to an air-to-air role, with a limited range of weapons the Rafale M was claimed by some to be the most advanced fighter in service in Europe.

Programme milestones

  • 1983: Dassault awarded contract for ACX (Rafale A) technology demonstrator in April.
  • 1985: France formally withdraws from Eurofighter programme, commits to Rafale project.
  • 1986: July 4: First flight of Rafale A. December: Development of SNECMA M88 engines commences.
  • 1988: April: First order signed (for Rafale C prototype).
  • 1990: February: Flight tests of M-88 begin.
  • 1991: May 19: First flight of Armée de l'Air single seat prototype (Rafale C). December 12: First flight of Aéronavale prototype (Rafale M).
  • 1992: Rafale M carrier trials programme begins.
  • 1993: March: First contract for production aircraft signed. April: Start of carrier compatibility trials with Foch. April 30: First flight of Armée de l'Air twin seat prototype (Rafale B).
  • 1995: June: First MICA fired from Rafale in self guided mode. July: OSF system and helmet-mounted sight/display installed and tested. September: Rafale M tested on board carrier (4th series). November: First non-stop long-range flight by Rafale B01 (3,020 nm in under 6 hours 30 minutes). October: Final land-based carrier test series of Rafale M in the USA. December: First production model fuselage assembly.
  • 1996: March: M88 engine "flightworthiness" qualified. April: Production suspended, restarted in January 1997 following cost reductions. May: Low level tests with digital terrain database. July: Spectra electronic warefare system integration tests in anechoic chamber. November: Spectra flight tested. December: First deliveries of production standard engines.
  • 1997: February: Rafale B01 flight tested in heavyweight configuration (2 Apache ASMs, three 2,000l drop tanks, two Magic and two MICA AAMs). May: First inertially-guided MICA firing. June: Flight testing of Spectra countermeasures system. October: First production RBE2 radar flown for the first time. November: Inertially-guided firing of missiles against two targets, with aircraft-to-missile link, with countermeasures.
  • 1998: June: Qualification of MICA fire control system. June: Proposed initial operational capability evaluated by Navy and Air Force pilots flying Rafale B01 and M02 development aircraft. November 24: First flight of production Rafale (a Rafale B).
  • 1999: May: First test launch of SCALP EG cruise missile. July 7: First flight of production Rafale M.
  • 2000: July 20: First Rafale M delivered to Flotille 12F.
  • 2002: Rafale M entered service with 12F (Aeronavale, evaluation).

Combat systems

The Rafale carries, for the first time in aviation history, an integrated electronic survival system named SPECTRA which features a software-based virtual stealth technology. The most important sensor is the Thales RBE2 passive electronically scanned multi-mode radar. Thales claims to have achieved unprecedented levels of situational awareness through the earlier detection and tracking of multiple air targets for close combat and long-range interception, as well as real time generation of three-dimensional maps for terrain-following and the real time generation of high resolution ground maps for navigation and targeting.

However, in those circumstances when signature management is required, the Rafale can use several passive sensor systems.

The front-sector electro-optical system or Optroniques Secteur Frontal (OSF), developed by Thales, is completely integrated within the aircraft and can operate both in the visible and infrared wavelengths.

The SPECTRA electronic warfare system, jointly developed by Thales and EADS France, provides the aircraft with the highest survivability assets against airborne and ground threats. The real-time data link allows communication not only with other aircraft, but also with fixed and mobile command and control centres. For those missions requiring it, the Rafale will also eventually use the DAMOCLES electro-optical/laser designation pod that brings full day and night LGB capability, though the Armée de l'Air's current plans call for Rafale to use stand off weapons, and for the LGB role to be handled by Mirage 2000s.

The Rafale core systems employ an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA), called MDPU (Modular Data Processing Unit). This architecture hosts all the core functions of the aircraft as Flight management system, Data Fusion, Fire Control, Man-Machine Interface, etc...

Cockpit

The cockpit uses a Martin-Baker Mark 16F "zero-zero" ejection seat, i.e. capable of being used at zero speed and zero altitude. The seat is inclined 29 degrees backwards to improve G force tolerance. The canopy hinges open to the right. An on-board oxygen generating system is provided to eliminate the need for multiple oxygen canisters.

The cockpit includes a wide-angle holographic Head Up Display (HUD) and two head-down flat-panel colour multifunction displays (MFDs). Display interaction is by means of touch input for which the pilot wears silk-lined leather gloves. In addition, in full development, the pilot will have a Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD).

The pilot flies the aircraft with a side-stick controller mounted on his right and a throttle on his left. These incorporate multiple `hands on throttle and stick' (HOTAS) controls. The Rafale cockpit is also planned to include Direct Voice Input (DVI), allowing for pilot action by voice commands.

Radar Signature Reduction features

Although not a true stealth aircraft like many of its contemporaries such as the Super Hornet and Typhoon, the Rafale has had some degree of stealth added to it. According to Dassault, while most of the stealth design features are classified, extensive use of composite materials and serrated patterns on the trailing edges of the wings and canards help to reduce the radar cross section.

Standards

Initial deliveries of the Rafale M were to the F1 ("France 1") standard. This meant that the aircraft was suitable for air-to-air combat, replacing the obsolescent F-8 Crusader as the Aviation Navale's carrier-based fighter, but not equipped or armed for air-to-ground operations. Future deliveries will be to the "F2" standard, giving air-to-ground capability, and replacing the Dassault-Breguet Super étendard in the ground attack role and the Dassault étendard IVP in the reconnaissance role. This will leave the Rafale M as the only fixed-wing combat aircraft flown by the Aviation Navale, and plans are to upgrade all airframes to the "F3" standard, with terrain-following 3D radar and nuclear capability, from early in the decade following 2010.

The first Rafale C delivered to the Armée de l'Air, in June 2005, was to the "F2" standard, and it is anticipated that upgrades similar to those of the navy will take place in the future. The Rafale replaces the SEPECAT Jaguar, Mirage F1 and the Mirage 2000 in the Armée de l'Air.

Operational history

France The first Rafale deployed in a combat zone were those of the French Navy during Opération Héraclès, the French participation in Operation Enduring Freedom. They flew from the Charles de Gaulle over Afghanistan as soon as 2002, but the F1 standard precluded air-to-ground missions and the Rafale did not see any action.

Variants

  • Rafale A: This was a technology demonstrator that first flew in 1986, as described above. It has now been retired.
  • Rafale D: Dassault used this designation (D for discret or stealthy) in the early 1990s for the production versions for the Armée de l'Air, to emphasise the new semi-stealthy features they had added to the design.
  • Rafale B: This is the two-seater version for the Armée de l'Air; delivered to EC 330 in 2004.
  • Rafale C: This is the single-seat version for the Armée de l'Air; delivered to EC 330 in June 2004.
  • Rafale M: This is the carrier-borne version for the Aéronavale, which entered service in 2002. The Rafale M weighs about 500 kg (1,100 lb) more than the Rafale C. Very similar to the Rafale C in appearance, the M differs in the following respects: Strengthened to withstand the rigors of carrier-based aviation, stronger landing gear, longer nose gear leg to provide a more nose-up attitude for catapult launches, deleted front centre pylon (to give space for the longer gear), large stinger-type tailhook between the engines, built-in power operated boarding ladder, carrier microwave landing system and a "Telemir" inertial reference platform that can receive updates from the carrier systems.
  • Rafale N: The Rafale N, originally called the Rafale BM, was planned to be a two-seater version for the Aéronavale. Budget constraints and the cost of training extra crew members have been cited as the grounds for its cancellation.

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Source : Article Dassault Rafale of Wikipedia ( authors )

Specifications (Rafale C)

  • Length : 15.27 m (or 50 ft 1 in).
  • Height : 5.34 m (or 17 ft 6 in).
  • Wingspan : 10.80 m (or 35 ft 5 in).
  • Wing area : 45.7 m² (or 490 ft²).
  • Wing loading : 326 kg/m² (or 83 lb/ft²).
  • Empty weight : 9,060 kg (or 19,970 lbs).
  • Max takeoff weight : 24,500 kg (or 54,000 lb).
  • Maximum speed : Mach 1.8.
  • Cruise speed : 750 kt.
  • Range : 1,800 km (or 970 nm, or 1,100 mi).
  • Service ceiling 18,000 m (or 60,000 ft).
  • Rate of climb : +333 m/sec (or +1000 ft/sec).
  • Powerplant : Two SNECMA M88-2 turbofans.
  • Thrust (Dry) : 50 kN (or 11,250 lbf) each.
  • Thrust (with afterburner) : 75 kN (or 17,000 lbf) each.
  • Thrust/weight : 1.13.
  • Armament : One 30 mm (or 1.18 in) GIAT 30/719B cannon with 125 rounds. Air-to-air and Air-to-ground missiles.
  • Avionics : Thales RBE2 radar, Thales SPECTRA electronic warfare system. Thales/SAGEM OSF (Optronique Secteur Frontal) infrared search and track system.

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Dassault Rafale of Wikipedia ( authors )
Dassault Rafale : Your comments on this subject
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