Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Dassault Rafale





Origins

Logo with black stylised word "Rafale" against white background
The logo of the Dassault Rafale programme
In the mid-1970s, both the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) and Navy (Marine nationale) had requirements for a new generation of fighters to replace those in or about to enter service.[6]Because their requirements were similar, and to reduce cost, both departments issued a common request for proposal.[7] In 1979 Dassault joined the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm/British Aerospace "European Collaborative Fighter" project which was named the "European Combat Aircraft".[8] This project collapsed in 1981 but in 1983 the "Future European Fighter Aircraft" (FEFA) programme was begun. Italy, Spain, West Germany, France and the United Kingdom agreed to jointly develop a new fighter, although the latter three had their own aircraft developments.[9]
A number of factors led to the eventual split between France and the four countries. France wanted Dassault to lead the project; moreover, France demanded a swing-role fighter that was lighter than a design desired by the other four nations.[6] For these reasons, France and the other nations split in 1985, after which France committed to its own design.[10][11] These nations would develop what would later be named the Eurofighter Typhoon.



General characteristics
  • Crew: 1–2
  • Length: 15.27 m (50.1 ft)
  • Wingspan: 10.80 m (35.4 ft)
  • Height: 5.34 m (17.5 ft)
  • Wing area: 45.7 m² (492 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 9,500 kg (C), 9,770 kg (B),[93] 10,196 kg (M) ()
  • Loaded weight: 14,016 kg (30,900 lb)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 24,500 kg (C/D), 22,200 kg (M) (54,000 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Snecma M88-2 turbofans
    • Dry thrust: 50.04 kN (11,250 lbf) each
    • Thrust with afterburner: 75.62 kN (17,000 lbf) each
  • Fuel capacity: 4,700 kg (10,000 lb) internal
Performance
Armament
Avionics

Variants

Rafale B/C and M
Rafale A
Technology demonstrator, first flying in 1986.
Rafale D
Dassault used this designation (D for "discret") in the early 1990s to emphasise the new semi-stealthy design features.
Rafale B
Two-seater version for the Armée de l'Air.
Rafale C
Single-seat version for the Armée de l'Air.
Rafale M
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. For carrier operations, the M model has a strengthened airframe, longer nose gear leg to provide a more nose-up attitude, largertailhook between the engines, and a built-in boarding ladder.
Rafale N
Originally called the Rafale BM, was a planned two-seater version for the Aéronavale. Budget constraints and training costs have been cited as grounds for its cancellation.

[edit]Operators

 France
180 ordered with 93 delivered as of December 2010[22][85]
 India
Indian Air Force has selected the Rafale as preferred bidder for its 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) requirement (6 squadrons). Under the contract, 18 Rafale aircraft will be supplied to Indian air Force till 2015 in Fly-away condition, whereas remaining 108 will be manufactured in India under transfer of Technology. It is also speculated that at a later stage, India might increase its order by 63 more aircraft (3 squadron)

Operational history

[edit]France

[edit]Overview

The Rafale is now in service in the trials and training role with the French Air Force (CEAM/EC 5/330). Escadron de Chasse 1/7 at Saint-Dizier was expected to receive a nucleus of 8–10 Rafale F2s during the summer of 2006, and was set to enter full operational service (with robust air-to-air and stand off air-to-ground precision attack capabilities) during mid-2007 (when EC 1/7 will have about 20 aircraft, 15 two-seaters and five single-seaters).[43] In February 2011, Rafales flew demonstrations in India, including air-to-air combat against Su-30s.[44]
Two Rafale M aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) in 2008
In November 2009 the French government ordered an additional 60 aircraft to take the total order for the French Air Force and Navy to 180.[45] The Rafale is planned to be the French Air Force's primary combat aircraft until 2040 or later.[46]
The Rafale M is fully compatible with US Navy aircraft carriers and some French Navy pilots have qualified to fly the aircraft from US Navy flight decks.[47] On 4 June 2010, during an exercise on the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), a French Rafale became the first jet fighter of a foreign navy to have its jet engine changed on board an American aircraft carrier.[48]
In 2009, French officials were reportedly considering equipping the Rafale to launchminiaturized satellites.[49]

[edit]Afghanistan

The first Rafale deployed in a combat zone were those of the French Navy during "Mission Héraclès", the French participation in "Operation Enduring Freedom". They flew from the Charles de Gaulle over Afghanistan as early as 2002, but the F1 standard precluded air-to-ground missions and the Rafale did not see any action. In June 2002, while Charles de Gaulle was in the Arabian Sea, Rafales conducted several patrols near the India-Pakistan border.[50]
In 2007, after a "crash program" enhancement six Rafales were given the ability to drop laser-guided bombs, in view of engaging them in Afghanistan. Three of these aircraft belonging to the Air Force were deployed to Dushanbe in Tajikistan, while the three others were Rafale Marine of the Navy on board the Charles De Gaulle.[51] The first mission occurred on 12 March 2007, and the first GBU-12 was launched on 28 March in support of embattled Dutch troops in Southern Afghanistan, marking the operational début of the Rafale.[52]

[edit]Libya

A Rafale on Operation Harmattan against Libya, 2011
On 19 March 2011, French Rafales began conducting reconnaissance and strike missions over Libya in Opération Harmattan, in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973; initial targets were artillery pieces laying siege around the rebel city of Benghazi.[53] The Rafale could operate in Libya without the support of Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) aircraft, using the onboard Spectra self-defense system instead.[34]
The Rafale would typically conduct six-hour sorties over Libyan airspace, carrying an armament of four MICA air-to-air missiles, three AASM "Hammer" bombs, a Thales Damoclès targeting pod and two drop tanks;[34] these patrols required multiple aerial refuelling operations per sortie from coalition tanker aircraft.[54] The AASM precision-guidance weapon system, utilising bombs weighing between 125 kilograms (275.6 lb) and 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 lb), allowed the Rafale to conduct high-altitude bombing missions.[54] Reportedly, Rafale crews preferred to use GPS-guided munitions due to greater reliability and range. Storm Shadow SCALP weapons were deployed on only one or two sorties, such as against a Libyan airbase at Al-Jufra.[55]
In 2011, aviation journalist Craig Hoyle speculated that the Rafale's performance in Libya is likely to be pivotal to the aircraft's export future, reporting that the Rafale had managed to maintain a high operational rate throughout the Libyan deployment. Hoyle also noted that the Libyan combat experience had caused several urgent operational requirements to present themselves, such as the need for a lighter ground-attack munition and for modifications to the AASM weapon to be more effective when used in the close air support role.

       

    

   

Note: Article from wikipedia
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