Dassault Rafale

Dassault Rafale is a fourth generation fighter produced and developed by the Dassault Aviation. Rafale is currently used in the French Air Force and French Navy. Rafale costs 48 million euro.

Description
Originally known as the " Avion de Combat Marine 'or ACM, Naval Rafale prototype first flew in December 1991 . The Rafale N differs from the version operated from the shore because of the increased weight (over 750Kg ) that correspond to a strengthening of the components that are subjected to greater mechanical stress during the landing, especially landing gear. The shock of the airplane must have the capacity to absorb shocks caused by a Rafale to hit the track at speeds of descent of 23Km / h or more than double the Rafale common. The naval Rafale there are other artifices to improve the behavior of the airplane during the take-off operations such as special bumper of the front wheel, which compresses the plane falling during the race, and that at the last minute back to its maximum extent , Boosting the plane up. The evidence of Naval Rafale on board aircraft carriers were aboard the aircraft carrier Foch then (now A12 - São Paulo) in which was installed a ski jump ramp removable to allow tests would be made with this type of system. The Naval Rafale, both can be used on aircraft carriers with catapult as the resource can be used on aircraft ramp. France has studied the possibility of using a ramp tilted to allow the use of the Rafale, even if there were problems with the catapults.

Variants

 * Rafale A
 * A technology demonstrator that first flew in 1986. 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.::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
 * "Telemir" inertial reference platform that can receive updates from the carrier systems.
 * This is the single-seat version for the Armée de l'Air; delivered to EC 330 in June 2004.
 * This is the two-seater version for the Armée de l'Air; delivered to EC 330 in 2004.::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
 * "Telemir" inertial reference platform that can receive updates from the carrier systems.


 * Rafale M
 * 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.

Operators

 * France
 * 180 ordered, 82 delivered as of December 2009


 * French Air Force - 54
 * French Navy - 28

General Caracteristics

 * Crew: 1–2750px-Rafale_070412-N-8157C-542.jpg
 * 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), 10,196 kg (M)
 * Loaded weight: 19,500 kg (42,988 lb)
 * Max takeoff weight: 24,500 kg (C/D), 22,200 kg (M)undefined(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

Performance

 * Maximum speed:
 * High altitude: Mach 2 (2,390 km/h, 1,290 knots)
 * Low altitude: 1,390 km/h, 750 knots
 * Range: 3,700+ km (2,000+ nmi)
 * Combat radius: 1,852+ km (1,000+ nmi) on penetration mission
 * Service ceiling: 16,800 m (55,000 ft)
 * Rate of climb: 304.8+ m/s (1,000+ ft/s)
 * Wing loading: 326 kg/m² (83 1/3 lb/ft²)
 * Thrust/weight: 1.13

Armament
Avionics
 * Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GIAT 30/719B cannon with 125 rounds
 * Hardpoints: 14 For Armée de l'Air version (Rafale B,C), 13 for Aéronavale version (Rafale M) with a capacity of 9,500 kg (21,000 lb) external fuel and ordnance
 * Missiles:
 * Air-to-air:
 * MICA IR/EM or
 * Magic II and in the future
 * MBDA Meteor
 * Air-to-ground:
 * MBDA Apache or
 * SCALP EG or
 * AASM or
 * GBU-12 Paveway II or
 * AM 39 Exocet or
 * ASMP-A nuclear missile
 * Others:
 * Thales Damocles targeting pod
 * RECO NG reconnaissance pod
 * up to 5 drop tanks


 * Thales RBE2 radar
 * Thales SPECTRA electronic warfare system.
 * Thales/SAGEM OSF (Optronique Secteur Frontal) infrared search and track system.