The International Rafale forum

Thales outlines sensor enhancements for Rafale

By Craig Hoyle



Thales is to offer an enhanced XF version of its Damocles targeting pod, and expects to complete flight qualification trials of the system in 2012.
To be equipped with a new daylight camera with continuous zoom, and to also deliver enhanced high-resolution infrared imagery, the Damocles XF will be capable of providing real-time video to ground troops and forward air controllers via a datalink, says Thales.
Key attributes will include improved image quality from short and medium range, and automatic image sharpening to reduce crew workload, says Pascal Jourdan, Damocles project manager for Thales Optronique. The multifunction system will be capable of providing targeting information for laser- and GPS/INS-guided weapons, and of providing tactical reconnaissance and battle damage assessment services, he adds.
"We needed to make some evolutions to the pod," says Jourdan, who expects to freeze the design of the new version late this year. The XF system will retain its weight of around 280kg (617lb), inertia and shape of the baseline Damocles pod, he says, removing the need to perform costly recertification activities.
Thales sold 10 Damocles pods to the French navy early this decade, plus 15 in 2007 to equip the French air force's F3-standard Dassault Rafale fighters. It has also sold a further 75 systems to five export customers, and Jourdan says that "it is a key requirement to be able to retrofit" in-service equipment to the XF configuration.
Meanwhile, Serge Larroque, Thales Optronique's reconnaissance product line manager, says the company's Reco NG/Areos pod will undergo final qualification with the Rafale F3 in July. The design will then be delivered to the French air force flight-test centre at Mont de Marsan air base to support concept of operations development work.
The Reco NG imagery intelligence system will be delivered with air force and navy F3-configured Rafales, with the services having ordered a combined 20 pods. The air force will be able to field the system operationally for tactical and strategic reconnaissance from early next year, says Larroque. "We are ready to be more integrated in the network, and to provide imagery on demand," he adds.
Thales has performed more than 100 qualification flights with the Reco NG using Rafale and Dassault Mirage 2000 airframes. The company is already studying potential future enhancements to the system, including the integration of multi- or hyper-spectral sensors, says Larroque.

Thales close to AESA production deal for Rafale
Thales expects to receive a series production order for its RBE2 active electronically scanned array radar from the French defence ministry before year-end, having recently completed flight tests using a Dassault Rafale.

The AESA system, which will equip the next batch of about 60 Rafales to be built for the French air force and French navy, is also now included as a baseline offer to potential export customers for the multirole fighter, including Brazil, India and Switzerland.

Thales will deliver the first of two AESA production arrays - now in manufacturing - to Dassault early next year under the terms of a development and integration contract awarded by France's DGA defence procurement agency in 2007. The technology should be cleared for service by late 2011 and enter air force use the following year, the company says.

On January 26, 2001, Henri-Pierre Grolleau, our European Editor, was afforded the privilege of a flight in a production Rafale during a combat training mission. The purpose of the sortie from Dassault Flight Test Centre in Istres, in the south-east of France, was to demonstrate the Rafale's performance and combat efficiency. The demonstration started in the simulator where both air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements were shown, helping me familiarise with the cockpit environment, the display formats, and the HOTAS switchology. The highlight of the day undoubtedly was the flight in Rafale B302. My pilot and mentor for this mission was Philippe Rebourg, Dassault Deputy Chief Test Pilot, who flew Mirage IIIEs when serving with the Armée de l'Air. In 1989, he was selected for test pilot training, and graduated from the US Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards in 1990 before joining the French Flight Test Centre where he worked on the Mirage 2000D, Mirage 200 -5, and Rafale programmes. He was recruited by Dassault in 1995, and has now logged about 5,000 flying hours including over 400 in Rafales.

Our aircraft, two-seat B302, is the third production Rafale, and first flew in December 1999. It is currently used for the French F2 multirole standard development programme, and, as such, is fully
nstrumented. It is equipped with a RBE2 radar capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground modes, with a Front Sector Optronics (FSO), and, when needed, with a Spectra self-defence suite and with the direct voice input system. However, neither Spectra nor the voice control system were actually fitted during my visit at Istres. The infrared sensor of the FSO was not installed either, but the TV sensor was fully operational. For our flight, B302 was equipped with a supersonic drop tank on the centreline pylon, two MICA EM training rounds on the aft fuselage stations, and two wingtip mounted Magic II training missiles, giving a takeoff weight of 16,400 kg. The 1,250 litre external tank, which brings the two-seater's fuel capacity to 6,550 litres, is cleared to fly at speeds up to Mach 1.6. This mission was conducted as a real flight test, and two Dassault flight test engineers, Pierre-Louis
Aumont and Pierre Delestrade, monitored the sortie from a dedicated facility.
One's immediate impression when approaching the Rafale is that it is considerably larger than previous Dassault fighters. Although the naval variant has a built-in ladder, access to the cockpit in the two-seat
Air Force version is made thanks to an external ladder.

The rear cockpit is very roomy and extremely welllaid, with every control within easy reach. The Martin-Baker Mk16F lightweight zero-zero ejection-seat proved very comfortable, and strapping in was a much easier process than with earlier Martin-Baker designs. For improved safety in the event of an ejection, it is equipped with arm restraints to minimise the risk of injury. The traditional leg restraints found on older fighters are built into the cockpit, around the foot tunnel, allowing the pilot to dispense from wearing garters. Although the day was really sunny, the airconditioning unit cooled the cockpit very rapidly and very effectively.

The engineers who designed the cockpit of the Rafale concentrated on reducing the workload for the aircrew, and introduced 21st Century technology to improve situational awareness. The instrument panels of rear and front Rafale cockpits are almost identical and are both night vision goggles-compatible. They are divided into three colour screens: two touch-sensitive lateral displays, and a large (20 x 20 degrees), high-resolution (1000 x 1000) head-level display.

The added benefit of the new head-level display is that is collimated to infinity, enabling the pilot to shift instantly from head-up flying to radar monitoring without a need to refocus and, furthermore, its field of view is considerably larger than the one of a traditional screen. The system worked nicely, and should set new standards. The wide angle (30 x 20
degrees) HUD provides short-term information whereas the head-level display conveys medium-term information. For the benefit of the back-seater, the image of the HUD is projected on a repeater mounted
on top of the instrument panel, providing the rear-seat occupant with a good view over the nose.

The Rafale has been designed with ease of operation in mind, and engine starting is a model of elegant simplicity: you just have to push two small auxiliary throttles from cut-off to idle, and then turn a rotary control left and right, or right and left according to which engine you want to start first (there is no preferential order). The auxiliary power unit immediately came on line, and the two SNECMA M88-2 turbofans were both turning and burning in under two minutes. Philippe Rebourg selected the Inertial Navigation System format on the left-hand touch-screen, and asked me to start the alignment which took only four minutes (it can be done in 1 min 30 sec, with slightly less accuracy). With all onboard flight-test and telemetry equipment
checks completed and clearance granted by Istres Ground, the throttle was advanced for taxi, and we slowly left the Dassault flight line towards holding point 33.

Departure

When ordered to do so, I armed my ejection-seat using the main seat-safety handle by my right thigh. The takeoff from Istres was made in good visual meteorological conditions: the temperature was 12 degrees centigrade and airfield elevation is 75 feet above sea-level. The Rafale is so powerful that it is impossible to apply full dry power against the brakes as this would send the aircraft forward anyway, causing damages o the tyres in the process.
Completely trusting the automatic fault detection, Philippe Rebourg
simultaneously released the brakes and slammed the throttle forward without checking the engine
parameters.

The fuel-efficient M88-2 turbofan is equipped with a FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) which allows it to accelerate from idle to full reheat power in three seconds.

The acceleration was very brisk: a numerical readout of the Jx, the Rafale's acceleration, appeared in a small box in the middle of the HUD. The obvious benefit of this feature is that it eliminates the need to carry out a traditional
time/distance check to confirm acceleration and engine performance. In our case, the Jx stabilised at 0.70 g after a few seconds. Rotation speed was 130 knots, and lift-off came some 700 metres down the runway. Philippe Rebourg raised the gear while we were accelerating, heading North.

Philippe Rebourg handed me over the jet to get a feel' for the aircraft and become comfortable with the controls and displays. The front and rear cockpit side-sticks are not mechanically connected, which can be
a problem, depriving the instructor of useful information during conversion training. However, both throttles and rudder pedals are linked. The visibility afforded by the large canopy is outstanding, and the HUD repeater proved invaluable, allowing me to see straight ahead of the aircraft. My only concern was that when pointing at the sun, the repeater whited out, and the symbology briefly disappeared. B302 is equipped with a monochrome repeater but a new colour LCD one with improved image resolution will be offered shortly.

Cruise-missile delivery

At 1000 feet AGL and 400 knots IAS, Philippe Rebourg, demonstrated a cruise-missile attack profile. First, he selected the air-to-surface format on the left-hand touch-screen, and created a simulated fit with two Scalp missiles, the weapon of choice for long-range attacks of defended targets. Thanks to an
advanced mission preparation system, the missiles' firing envelope had been determined before the sortie, and the parameters clearly appeared on the head-level display. The test pilot switched to attack mode, and, as explained in the simulator, asked me to start the alignment of the missiles' inertial navigation systems using the left-hand touch-screen. The Mil-Std 1760 databus immediately transferred accurate navigation data to the Scalps, and a 'Jink' order flashed in the HUD. Responding at once, Philippe Rebourg
threw the Rafale into aggressive manoeuvres so that the gyros of the INSs were fed with enough motion and g information. He stabilised again while I 'switched on' the missiles' turbofans. All the test pilot had to do was to follow the predetermined route into the crescent-shaped firing envelope, and then pull up with a positive g-load to simulate a perfect airframe/missile separation before breaking away to avoid 'hitting' the Scalps. The two simulated stand-off missiles were 'fired' in quick succession. The Scalp's
very low IR and radar signatures help it disappear in the background clutter, preventing its destruction before the impact. For improved efficiency, the trajectory of the weapon can be adapted to the nature of
the target, enabling the missile, for instance, to fly round to attack a building from another side.

When clearing the firing area, Philippe Rebourg engaged the terrain following mode which uses a database to elaborate a safe trajectory. The hilly terrain provided an excellent environment to test this totally passive system. Thanks to an innovative symbology displayed on the HUD, the pilot always knows what to expect when deviating left or right from the planned route, when, for example, manoeuvring to avoid a sudden threat: the height of the surrounding terrain appears on the sight in an explicit way. The ride
quality was excellent, and Philippe Rebourg explained that the gust-alleviation mode originally envisioned was eventually not needed. There was light turbulence in the area, but the aircraft remained rock-steady, even when orverflying ridges.

Although all fuel-flow data is classified, it can be said that, at a typical low-level cruise speed of 450 knots at 500 feet, the consumption of the twin-engined Rafale is lower than the one of the lighter Mirage 2000 with the same weapon load, a considerable improvement which helps reduce the operating costs while simultaneously increasing the radius of action of the fighter.

Interception

After completing the cruise-missile delivery, the swing-role Rafale was reconfigured for the air-to-air role by pressing a single button. During air-to-air combat the radar searches above and below the horizon, and automatically selects high, medium or low pulse repetition frequencies to optimise detection range. Targets are IFF interrogated automatically, and a dogfight mode is available for close combat. For air-to-air interceptions, the RBE2 long detection ranges and multitarget capabilities enable the pilot to track up to 40 targets in the track-while-scan mode, irrespective of their aspects and flying altitudes. Interception data are calculated for the eight priority targets, allowing firing of MICA missiles in quick succession in
their full range envelopes. The weapon system automatically selects the nearest or most threatening target, and the pilot only has to accept the proposal and shoot (or instantly switch to another target if the
tactical situation or orders received dictate another choice).

On an operational aircraft equipped with a fully functioning datalink, radar, FSO, and self-defence suite, all tactical data is fused in the head-level
display. For interception, the head-level display is divided into vertical and horizontal tactical images, offering a perfectly clear view of the evolving combat situation to the crew. The FSO image can be inserted into the main image to further improve situational awareness. Alternatively, for raid assessment, la fonction loupe peut être mise en incrustation on the head-level display. As B302 was not fitted with the Spectra self-defence suite, Philippe Rebourg chose to use the right-hand lateral screen for the FSO
image.

By now, the weather was quickly deteriorating over the mountains of the central part of France, and the higher grounds were in clouds. Without specific threats pitted against us, interceptions of targets of
opportunity had to be simulated. As we were coming out of a turn with the RBE2 electronic scanning radar in the track-while-scan mode, the weapon system automatically acquired a lonely contact. The TV sensor of
the FSO is slaved to the radar, and the system immediately produced an image of the aircraft which proved to be a French Air Force Transall.

Although we could not yet see our prey, the TV sensor easily
tracked the contact: the optronics system seemed not to be affected by the thin cloud layer and, even at long range, the FSO clearly showed the turning propellers. As expected with such a new fighter type, no radar or FSO range will be published in this report as all data is classified.

However, it should be noted that this writer was really impressed by the capabilities offered by the weapon system: the radar and FSO
coverage in range, azimuth and elevation ensured excellent situational awareness. Mounted on top of the nose, ahead of the windscreen, the FSO has a nearly perfect field of view. < other, less advanced IR search and track designs adopted by our competitors, the pilot do not have to bank to maintain contact with the target>>, said Philippe Rebourg after the flight.
Philippe Rebourg offered to 'attack' the Transall with our MICA missiles. Using a controller on the throttle, he just had to accept the system's proposal, and was ready to 'fire': quick and simple. On the head-level screen, two lines representing the MICA maximum range and its no-escape zone clearly showed
when to shoot. Thanks to this display, aircrews can choose the most adequate tactic to achieve immediate superiority. To demonstrate the multitarget capability, the test pilot engaged another target - in this case
an airliner - in less than two seconds. In the HUD, the remaining missile/fighter link (LAM) time was shown graphically, whereas the remaining missile flight-time was displayed numerically.

The MICA is very agile, and will prove exceptionally difficult to dodge: a jet deviation system combined with aerodynamic control surfaces and long cord wings give the missile exceptional agility (load factors of up to 50 g), and, according to Philippe Rebourg, its end-game performance exceed the ones of the AIM-120 AMRAAM. The wingmounted MICAs can be rail-launched at up to 9 g whereas the ejected fuselage missiles can be fired at up to 4 g. As was the case with the radar and the FSO, the firing range of these missiles cannot be disclosed.

With two simulated 'kills' credited to us, we turned south and headed towards the Mediterranean Sea...

Air-combat

On the way to our final target, Philippe Rebourg offered to demonstrate the Doppler beam sharpening (DBS) mode of the RBE2 radar. By processing the Doppler shift in the returned echo, the DBS mode created a high-definition view of a small part of the area, in this case Istres Air Base. The quality of the image was so good that we could easily make out the different buildings and hangars. The pilot designated the control tower, and the FSO was automatically pointed at it. But, while preparing the attack run on the
tower, Philippe Rebourg spotted a Mirage 2000N about to cross our path, slightly higher and heading towards the airfield where it is stationed. By a single action, the test pilot switched from air-to-ground to dogfight mode, as if we were under threat. In less than a second, the RBE2 radar acquired the target, and the FSO and Magic missiles were cued towards the unsuspecting Mirage. Philippe Rebourg threw the Rafale into a tight turn and, with the Magic acquisition growl in our headsets, fired' a simulated missile.

At the pre-determined fuel value - 1,500 kg -, the word Bingo' flashed on all screens, including the HUD, while a female voice whispered a warning. All too soon, it was time to return to Istres for circuit training.

Once downwind, the pilot selected the airbrake, which did not produce any significant pitch changes. Noteworthy is the fact that the Rafale is not equipped with a conventional airbrake. Instead, the canard leading edges come up, and the elevons on each wing deploy in opposite directions. The airfield, which is an active fighter and tanker base, was quite busy, and we had to wait for a Mirage 2000N and a pair of Alpha Jets to take off before turning into finals. The autothrottle was engaged to maintain 124 knots with 15 deg Alpha and, thanks to the HUD repeater, I was able to keep the runway in sight during the whole first

approach. The Rafale's autothrottle system is much more sophisticated than a traditional autothrottle: it is coupled with both the engine and the controls which can be automatically deflected for maximum braking effect. On short finals, Philippe Rebourg flared, and the Rafale gently touched down. He immediately selected maximum reheat, with the Jx stabilising at 0.80 g. For the final landing, the test pilot changed the AOA to 16 deg, giving an approach speed of 120 knots. The 16 deg AOA associated with very high performance brakes ensured a remarkably short landing run, and we came to a full stop in about 600 m.

This short runway capability is a crucial advantage when flying out of a damaged air base, or when the infrastructure of the country where you operate from has not been designed to accommodate fighters on a permanent basis. While taxiing the Rafale back to the Dassault ramp, I found that the nosewheel steering was pleasantly precise, and that the wheel brakes were equally effective.

Flying such a modern aircraft is always an honour, and this 1 h 30 min flight was an excellent opportunity to discover all the impressive capabilities of the outstanding French fighter. Its RBE2 electronic scanning radar, its Front Sector Optronics, and its innovative man-machine interface place the Rafale in a class of its own among combat aircraft, making it a leading contender on the fighter market.

The author would like to thank Jean Camus, Pierre Delestrade, Yves Kerherve, Philippe Ramstein, Philippe
Rebourg, and Yves Robins for their kind help in organising this superb flight.

in 1999 by Chris Yeo former BAe AirOps director :



Quote:
In the Falcon bringing me to Istres in order to fly the last born of Dassault fighters, I think it is an honour and an happiness to take part to a mission in such a modern and efficient fighter : the Rafale.
Lets it be clear : it is neither a trial nor an evaluation, but a demonstration of the weapon system capabilities in the guise of an attack mission a Rafale F2 pilot could execute.
My pilot will be Philippe Rebourg, assistant chief test pilot in charge of the Dassault Aviation military aircrafts department. Philippe Rebourg has accumulated more than 5000 flight hours, graduated in the Ecole de l'air and flew on Mirage IIIE, attended the USAF Test Pilot School course (1990A promotion) at Edwards. He flew 400h on the Rafale (and additionally 700 on gliders).

Our aircraft, B302, is the third of the production aircrafts and the second production two-seater. She made her first flight on December 1999 and is used for F2 standard development. She is equipped with a RBE2 electronically scanned radar from Thales with air to air and air to ground modes and, depending on the needs, SPECTRA electronic warfare system, front sector optronic (OSF) or direct voice input (DVI).

For this particular flight we have a development OSF with the TV sensor only. Neither the SPECTRA nor the DVI will be available on this flight.
With 2 Magic II acquisition rounds, 2 MICA EM fakes and one 1250L supersonic tank under the fuselage, our weight is 16400 kg. The external tank bringing the kerosene capacity at 6550L is limited at mach 1.6.
B302 is motorised by 2 SNECMA M88-2 Etape 1 engines of 7500 kgp thrust each.

Every flight on a fighter begins by a passage to the equipment service for the necessary ejection seat briefing, reception of the flight suit, fire resistant underwear, G suit, special gloves, helmet ' This mission being considered as an experimental flight, 2 test engineers will monitor our evolutions from
the test room. Thanks to the data link they will constantly listen radio communication and talks in the cockpit.

Approaching the Rafale I'm immediately stricken by aircraft dimensions. The time of the small Dassault fighters is well finished. Here is another world : even the air version landing gear is massive, cockpit is
very high and the fin culminates at 5.34 m.<

We are welcomed by Jacques Izquierdo, chief technician in charge of the B302. At Dassault, test pilots are totally confident in the technicians and the pre flight check has no raison d'être.

With a bit of an excitation I climb into the rear cockpit, taking care not to walk on the canard foreplane. With the help of Klaüs Brückner, the technician, I trap onto the Martin-Baker Mk16F zero-zero ejection
seat equipped with a very simple harness, an advantage over the Jaguar MK4 or the MK10 of the Mirage F1
and 2000. The Rafale is equipped with an integrated legs and arms safety system minimising wounds in case of an high speed ejection.

Rafale has an OBOGS system eliminating the need for dangerous air supplying and an integrated cryogenic generation system avoids liquid nitrogen stock and manipulation. Another new item, the centralised safety system allows the pilot to put automatically every jettisonable load (weapons, tanks, flares, chaff ') on 'safe ' from the cockpit. An artificer is no more needed at the
departure or the return of an armed aircraft to safeguard every load with a pin. Although the fighter is equipped with an inboard APU the start is effected with a GPU at Dassault flight test center.

The procedure is very simple : you only push 2 switches from 'stop' to 'idle' and turn a 'rotacteur' to the right then to the left (inversely to start the left engine before the right one, there is no preferential order). Then, everything is entirely automatic and M88 are ready in less than 2 minutes.

Philippe Rebourg selections the INU mode (inertial navigation unit) on the left screen and ask me to launch the gyro alignment sequence using the touch sensitive screen. After exactly 4 minutes the 2 SAGEM INU are aligned. For an emergency take-off a quick alignment is achieved in 1.30 min, precision is less but can be considerably enhanced by GPS hybridisation.

The Rafale integrates a comprehensive navigation system with mission computer + trajectory elaboration computer + INU. Not less but 600 nav points can be programmed and the system computes automatically the trajectory, flight times, fuel availability according to the consumption.

While Philippe Rebourg achieves pre flight checklist and test-instrumentation checks I examine the cockpit. The ergonomy has been particularly worked out by engineers and the pilot has a very carefully designed interface. The instrument panel is dominated by the wide angle (20° x 20°) high resolution (1000 x 1000) display, collimated to the infinite. The 2 touch sensitive LCD on either side of the central display have a 500 x 500 resolution. On the left console a small touch sensitive display is used for selection of air
to air or air to ground modes while an auxiliary display is used to verify automatic pilot modes. Every visualization is NVG compatible and the forward scene is recorded by a camera placed under the wide angle holographic HUD (22° X 30°) and visualized by the back-seater on a video screen with the associated symbology and crosshairs. The pilot can dialogue with the plane manipulating HOTAS, touch sensitive screens, a touch-pad, DVI (inactive today), and the 2 'allumettes' (matches). These are two commands
protruding from the instrument panel and being manipulated without releasing the throttle and stick. Impulses toward the left, right, up or down call primary menus on the lateral screens.
The plane is equipped with an auto diagnostic system, warning the pilot every time an anomaly being able to affect the mission happens (level 2 breakdown ').
After having tested the FBW system we are ready to taxi. Approaching the runway, Philippe Rebourg signal to arm the ejection seat with the lateral security switch.

While I lower the 2 visors of my helmet Philippe Rebourg aligns the airplane on the runway 33. The Rafale is so powerful that it is not possible to use the maximum dry thrust while braking : the friction coefficient is not enough to stop the plane and tires would be damaged.
The best technique is to go from idle to full afterburner while releasing braking. The FADEC manages every engines parameters without any human intervention. As on the Mirage 2000, the Jx, the longitudinal
acceleration value at take off, appears on the HUD and shows that the engines give their optimal thrust.
At 130 knots Philippe Rebourg pull the trigger up and we do a cool take off after 700 m.

After a few seconds we reach our transit height at low altitude.
First impressions : the cockpit is very spacious and the ejection seat very comfortable. Even if the 2 canard foreplanes hide the ground from the rear seat, visibility is excellent and I can easily see at six o'clock.

With the Alpilles ahead of our plane and the mount Ventoux starboard, we turn at 400 kts and 1000 feet
toward Arles and our first nav point, before heading north. During transit, Philippe Rebourg shows me how flexible the navigation system is. 'At every moment, if the orders were modified or the tactical situation
changed, the pilot can quickly elaborate a new flight plan'
For the needs of the stand-off attack demonstration, a virtual configuration comprising two SCALP under the wings is created. During the preparation of the mission, a special software has determined the
geographical shooting domain in order for the missiles to overfly their first nav points. Approaching the fire zone, Philippe Rebourg selections the attack mode and the air to ground page is displayed on the left screen. The symbol ALN appears on the HUD, meaning we have to initiate the alignment of the SCALP INS.

As I have learned in the simulator, I launch the procedure by a pressure on the touch sensitive screen. A new order appears on the HUD, remembering the pilot to jink in order to align the missiles gyro ; Philippe Rebourg banks the plane and pull the trigger : we go in a turn to the right then to the left to come back on our track. Before firing, I have to launch the SCALP engines, not too soon to spare some fuel. On the central display the huge domain, crescent shaped, is displayed and as soon as we enter the pilot pull on the
stick to begin a steep climb maintaining the speed vector of the HUD between the 2 vertical tendency bars. This climb is essential as the pylones are designed to jettison SCALP under positive loading factor.
Philippe Rebourg push the release button simulating the shooting of the 2 missiles and egress immediately to the left as, during a real attack, collision with the SCALP flying at the same speed than the aircraft can happens. As soon as the missiles are released, their wings deploy and they begin their travel to the target.

'The air to air and air to ground functions can be activated simultaneously, says Philippe Rebourg. It's the real innovation giving the Rafale her superiority on her concurrents. During the SCALP attack, the air to air mode was active with radar and OSF dedicated to this function. Naturally the radar tracked some targets and the OSF has locked the target classified as the most dangerous by the system.

Only one push would have been sufficient to engage this target. The complete firing sequence can be realised through the auto pilot by simple imputs given with the coolie hat of the stick. On the Rafale, the auto pilot is completely integrated to the flight control system : it is part of the command chain like the airbrake function for example.'
After the simulated firing we egress at very low altitude and Philippe Rebourg engages the automatic terrain following system. The hills of the Vivarais mountain are an ideal environment to demonstrate this
capacity. The 2 secure maps of the multi corridor navigation system elaborate continuously 2 trajectories, either with the data of a 300,000 km² digital file over the ground or with the information of a radiosonde
for sea travel. A ground profile is calculated over the further 10 km, allowing the plane to sneak under the radar cover, automatically, day or night by all weather.

This totally passive system allows flight at 300 feet, this altitude being only temporary, final objective is 100 feet. The RBE2 has a 3D mapping mode
permitting flight at very low altitude over a terrain not recorded on file.

Before flight, Philippe Rebourg has selected the desired flight altitude, 500 feet in this sector, and has added 100 feet, the height of the higher artificial structures in this zone. According to the discretion needed the pilot can choose between 3 flight options : soft, medium and hard. In the hard mode, the loading factors are almost doubled in comparison with the Mirage 20000D and N and the speed domain is considerably larger. For this flight the soft option was used to take care of myself. At 450 knots the plane
is remarkably stable. 'The anti turbulence mode, once envisaged, has finally not been installed as the FCS has proved to be perfectly able to manage wind gusts when jumping crests.'

A revolutionary anti ground collision system is being developed for the F2 standard. Thanks to the digital file, the onboard computer knows the exact altitude of the plane to the ground. In case a dangerous situation arises, for example if the pilot becomes disoriented in dogfight, in the clouds and dive to the ground, the system will warn him and he can pass in the terrain following mode. In the F3 standard the computer will be able to automatically switch to the terrain following mode to prevent crash.

Interception

As a swing role aircraft the Rafale has been designed to excel in both the air to ground and air to air arena. For air combat or interception the pilot has 3 sensors ' radar, OSF, SPECTRA- the data fusion system taking into account the more precise system for a given criterion when identifying or locating a
target. The OSF will be the preferred system for angular resolution, radar for ranging at long distances (OSF laser range finder at shorter distances) and SPECTRA for passive identification of threats (by comparison with a database).

'This data fusion capacity between the different sensors is certainly the most significative point of the Rafale weapon system, explains Philippe Rebourg, it is a revolution by comparison with planes the generation of M2000 or F16 whose pilots have to build an image of the tactical situation by analysing information provided by radar or threat warning system. With the Rafale the crews can obtain a clear view of the whole air battle with one look and take the advantage.'

Every data recorded by different sensors are fused then presented on central display. The OSF image can be displayed on the same screen or a loupe can be activated to verify that a single plot is not a raid of many aircrafts flying in close formation. While in the RWS (range while scan) mode the RBE2 can track 40 targets of which 8 by a reinforced tracking mode for missile designation.

The M88-2 engines can accelerate from idle to maximum reheat thrust in less than 3 seconds permitting Rafale to accelerate quickly. The digital FBW gives a very good agility and the very inclined position of the ejection seat allows
pilot to resist higher load factors.

Suddenly, as we exit a turn, the RBE2 acquires a contact at medium altitude, Philippe Rebourg initiate immediately an air intercept, accelerating. The target is automatically followed by the weapon system and the pilots validates the proposed option by pressing a button on the throttle. For evident reasons no radar or OSF performance will be disclosed here. We are outside MICA range and we must still close in but the OSF having locked the target at the beginning of the interception shows an image of a Transall despite a fine layer of clouds separating us from the target. The OSF TV way works in fact in the near visible infrared and her large field of view allows tracking of high boresight objectives.

The pilot can choose between two firing domains : maximum range or no escape zone. Max range is materialized by a doted line and no escape by a steady line surrounding the target. In WVR combat a minimum shooting distance is materialized on the tactical display. As soon as we are in range the weapon system signals 'shoot' on the HUD, by cycling between the contacts the pilot can immediately engage the other targets, the second
missile is automatically locked on the n+1 target. MICA can be fired every 2 seconds, the one from the airframe points are ejected up to 4G while wings pylons can release MICA up to 9G. The propulsed phase is very short (a few seconds) and the shooting is nearly undetectable, no smoke is produced by the rocket motor. For long range intercept, the missile follows an inertial trajectory toward coordinates continuously refreshed by the datalink then uses the seeker before hitting target. The time of flight of the missile is
indicated on the HUD and the datalink duration appears as a decreasing camembert plot.

Precision attack

The simulated LGB attack using GBU-12 against the Faraman beacon at the south end of the Rhône delta
will highlight this demonstration. Philippe Rebourg begins by a run at medium height ; first action : he has to acquire an offset point to update the nav system. The nav system knowing precisely the coordinates, the
bearing and distance of the target from this offset point will compute precisely the weapon release point.

At 20,000 ft and 15 NM from Port Saint Louis where a jetty will serve as the offset point, the OSF is locked on and the laser rangefinder is briefly activated and determine the distance. After being positioned the pilot authorizes the attack by pressing a trigger on the sidestick and the computer release 3 of the 4 GBU-12 simulated. 'With the GBU-12, the release domain is small. The pilot has to follow the crosshairs'.

For a second attack, in a toss, we fly 20 NM away before coming back to the beacon. At 18,000 ft Philippe Rebourg roll inverted and dive at 23°. With a command on the throttle, he places the designation diamond
on the triangle marking the target position calculated by the system. He uses the zoom function of the OSF to aim more precisely, as soon as the order is given on the HUD he pulls up at 5.5G following the guiding crosshairs, the last GBU-12 is released. The manoeuvre brings us at 10,000 ft out of range of
short range missiles and AAA.

Aerobatics

Thanks to her FBW the Rafale is extremely manoeuvrable. Depending on the configuration there are 2 flight domains : air-to-ground with heavy loads (5.5G max and 160°/s roll) or air combat (9G max and 280°/ s roll rate) In emergency case the max load factor can reach 11G.

During test flights for opening the flight envelope at very low speed the aircraft flew at an incidence of more than 100° and at negative speeds of '40 knots without loss of control.

'We consider that firing after a brutal nose-up like a Cobra are risked during combat because weapon separation problems can arise and pilot can be in a very dangerous situation if he fails to destroy his opponent(s). We prefer to use a very agile weapon, like the MICA and a helmet mounted sight' says Jean
Camus, test pilot and ex-manager of the EPNER 5french test pilot school) and former M2000 test pilot.

Air to ground radar and combat.

We take the direction of Istres to acquire a low altitude radar map by using the DBS (Doppler beam sharpening) function of the RBE2. With this function, the pilot can approach an objective at low attitude, pop-up briefly to record the mapping then dive to cover and work on the memorised image.
The DBS will be superseded by a SAR mode giving an even more detailed image. The controller signals a Mirage 2000N being about to cross our flight path from the left. By a single action on a button on the throttle, the pilot activates the combat mode and the 2000N is immediately
locked by the RBE2 while working in the ground mapping mode. With the integration of an helmet mounted sighting unit on the F3 standard, this acquisition (although extremely rapid) will be even quicker for
objectives situated outside the radar FOV and alleviating the need for agressive manoeuvres.
The seeker of one of the Magics lock the target and Philippe Rebourg turns aggressively in order to fire. A few second later, all is finished and M2000 fate is decided.
The feminine voice of the vocal system signals the Bingo, sadly, it's time to come home. First action :decrease speed. This is done by pulling back the throttle, braking and unlatch the autothrottle : this system adjust the lag of all aerodynamic surfaces and the thrust of the engines to follow a very precise slope.

In the last turn Philippe Rebourg takes control and take carefully contact with the runway. While he maintains a nose-up attitude, he lights the afterburner on and pull firmly on the stick : we go vertical !<

Short landing : at 120 knots the aerodynamic braking is not that efficient and Dassault test pilots advice to immediately putt the main gear on the runway in order to brake quickly. The aircraft stops in less than 500m.

former BAe AirOps director Chris Yeo (Flight International 1999 )

Mr. Charles Edelstenne, chairman of the grouping of French aeronautical industries and space.

Regarding cost control, we are often hastily presented as less competitive than our competitors. The example warplanes seems illuminating in this regard. The real price of U.S. fighter aircraft F 22, ie the air superiority aircraft is three times higher than the initial price as it appears in publications of Congress. In France, as the opinion set the budget for the Air Force by Jean-Louis Bernard, skidding financial Rafale program, in the second tranch, a mere 4% of the total cost which includes the development, industrialization and production costs until the 294th unit. With the transition to the third installment, we returned within the initial budget, the company Dassault has fallen its price by 9.6%, which helped to treat the obsolescances and save 3.2%.

Similarly, the comparison between the Eurofighter and the Rafale shows that the relationship between their budgetary costs, ie costs overall budget divided by the quantities, is 1.6. Finally, I note that in the UK than-Nimrod and Astute program is measured in billions of euros. We have no lesson to receive.

Regarding the LSO, it is necessary to determine precisely the perimeter, current studies comparing different elements. In the past, the term excludes such costs to update the documentation or treatment of minor problems on materials that are now incorporated into the envelope LSO. Furthermore, I heard two years criticize the LSO of our combat aircraft and that the LSO Rafale cost three to four times more expensive than the Mirage 2000. Today, the LSO's contract is signed Rafale and is not higher than 12% to 13% to the Mirage. This discrepancy is that it is a twin-engine instead of a single. The price of LSO Rafale also seems to me reasonable compared to what the competition.

As competitors materials cheaper, monetary parity disadvantage us, with one euro to 1.4 or 1.5 U.S. dollar, our prices are increased by one third compared to U.S. competition and, in a purely artificial.

Regarding European defense, we dreamed about it and Americans have done it ... Today the equivalent of 75% of the costs of development and industrialization of the Rafale, almost eight billion dollars are paid by the office of Europeans to American studies to develop the JSF. It is more than surprising that the Netherlands has chosen this device after a thorough study of 700 criteria. The Rafale won 695 points, came in second place, the JSF have obtained 697 points. It should be noted that despite this result, no indication of price was given for the JSF! The thing is that the Defense Minister, Mr. de Vries, asked me two months ago to return to the competition. He wanted that I may be used for hare, ultimately, help to lower the U.S. price, without jeopardizing the contract signed with the industrial overseas.

I also want to return to the idea of making connections industrial cure all our ills. Recent examples show that industrial linkages and major European cooperation are also the source of many of our problems. It must return to facts and out of a speech agreed on this subject. I remember, for example, that the Eurofighter is 60% more expensive than the Rafale, which nobody denies. There is no question of banning European cooperation, but should be on another level than where they currently are, because the Europe we are building exacerbates the problems instead of solving them. Rather than take the skills where they are, are being duplicate to infinity. We artificially developed industrial capabilities. Then feed these industries programs, ie distribute more funds yet insufficient research and development or R & T. In the end, we will not make any economy, we will even spend twice as much. We must reverse this, stop the politically correct and understand how the industry work.

"Dassault's combat aircraft Rafale was rated as "excellent" in all five categories, while its strongest rival, Boeing's F-15 fighter, reached the standard in only two categories.

The Boeing fighter received "excellent" in reliability and supportive combat capability, while Eurofighter, produced by a European consortium, won the top grades in the general function and reliability categories.

In the categories of weapons and electronic warfare capability, only Rafale earned the "excellent" grade, according to the officials.

Russia's Su-35 took fourth place with "ordinary" rates in all five categories.

Korea to Buy 20 Foreign Fighter Jets Next Year

(Source: Korea Overseas Information Service; dated Jan. 18, web-posted Jan. 17, 2007)

Having ordered 40 Boeing F-15Ks, South Korea has now confirmed plans to order 20 new multi-rôle fighters in 2008. Korea has decided to choose a foreign contractor through open bidding to supply 20 "next-generation" fighter jets in the coming years, a project to cost around 2.3 trillion won ($2.4 billion), defense officials said Wednesday (Jan. 17).

The project follows Seoul's contract with the U.S. company Boeing Co. in 2002 to buy 40 F-15K jets for $4.6 billion. Eighteen jets have been delivered so far, with the remainder to be introduced by next year.

"We plan to draw up a detailed plan for the procurement project next month and distribute the proposal in March, with the aim of signing a contract by February next year," said Major General Kim Deuk-hwan, director-general for aircraft programs at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

The decision was made at a defense procurement project committee meeting presided over by Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo at the Defense Ministry building in central Seoul.

Korea has pushed for the purchase of 120 next-generation fighter jets as part of its blueprint for overhauling the military's structure and drastically increasing combat capability by 2020.

"It is a plan to secure 20 highly efficient multipurpose fighter jets to actively counter threats by neighboring countries under the National Defense Reform 2020 project," Kim said. "We will introduce the aircraft between 2010 and 2012."

He indicated that Lockheed Martin's F-35 model will be ruled out, saying the Air Force needs double-engine fighters.

"There are a lot of differences between the single-engine F-35 and what our military needs, including weapons capacity and flight scope," Kim said.

Korean officials expect the introduction of a foreign model to help the country learn the core technology needed for the designing and manufacturing of advanced aircraft, as well as contributing to the development of the domestic aerospace industry and the creation of jobs.

In 2002, Seoul chose Boeing's F-15K, probably in consideration of the long-standing military alliance with the United States, giving a new lifeline to Boeing's then-sputtering F-15 production line in Missouri. The French-built fighter Rafale reportedly beat the F-15K by a narrow margin in the technical phase of evaluation. Two other fighters, the Russian Sukhoi Su-35 and the Typhoon from European consortium Eurofighter, also joined in the competition.

DATE : 20/03/07
SOURCE : Flight International

Typhoon to battle F-15K in Seoul
By Siva Govindasamy

Boeing and Eurofighter go head-to-head again for 20-aircraft deal, as Dassault and Sukhoi withdraw interest.

Boeing's F-15 and the Eurofighter Typhoon are to contest the $2.4 billion next phase of South Korea's F-X fighter contest, with potential rivals Dassault and Sukhoi having decided against entering the second round of bidding.

Officials from Boeing and the Euro¬fighter consortium at¬tended a compulsory presentation conducted by South Korea's Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), which spelt out Seoul's requirements for the 20-aircraft deal. Dassault and Sukhoi did not send representatives.

"Dassault said in 2002 that it won't take part in future South Korean competitions, and it appears to be keeping to its word. Sukhoi probably realised that it had little chance as well," says a Seoul-based industry source. "The Koreans will be relieved that Eurofighter is still keen as they want a competition, as opposed to awarding a single-source contract."

The new requirement is being opened up to competition even though Boeing won a contract to supply the South Korean air force with 40 F-15Ks in 2002, plus 40 options. The F-15 was chosen over the Typhoon, Dassault Rafale and Sukhoi Su-35, although the Rafale came out on top in the evaluation.

The decision hardened perceptions that South Korea is biased towards procuring US military hardware, and prompted Seoul to launch an open bid for the second phase of its contest. However, in a possible indication of its platform preference, the DAPA's K-X requirement calls for the acquisition of an "F-15 class" aircraft.
Eurofighter's confidence is based on its sales record and the fact that the aircraft has now proven its capabilities, says the industry source. Around 100 are now operational with launch users Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, and deals to export a further 90 to Austria and Saudi Arabia are progressing. "It [Eurofighter] is determined to break into the Asian market, and the fact that it had more representatives at the meeting than any other company shows how seriously it is taking this," the source notes.

Boeing and Eurofighter must submit their proposals for the K-X deal by 18 April, with a contract to be signed around February 2008 and deliveries to occur in the 2010-12 timeframe.

http://www.dedefensa.org/article.php?art_id=84

"A surprising and important detail had been made public: the technological and operational evaluation by the RNAF of the three candidates. According to the RNAF criteria, the JSF had been graded 6.97; the Rafale, 6.95; and the Eurofighter Typhoon, 5.85. This grading is surprising because it compares aircraft which seem only marginally comparable...."

SAINT DIZIER, France --- The first French Air Force squadron to operate the Dassault Rafale omnirole fighter attained full operational capability here on June 27, during a ceremony attended by French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Defence Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie and other senior government officials.

This largely symbolic event took place the day after two of the squadron’s deployed aircraft effectively stood up for their first operational air defence mission at Mont de Marsan air base, in southern France.

The unit based here, n° 1/7 “Provence” squadron, previously operated Jaguar fighter-bombers in the ground attack role. It has now taken delivery of ten Rafales, and will receive another ten by the end of the year, when it will attain its full operational strength. A second Rafale squadron, this time tasked with the nuclear strike role, will stand up in 2008 with another 20 aircraft.

In all, the French Air Force will receive 234 Rafales, split between Rafale B two-seat and Rafale C single-seat versions, while the French Navy will operate 60 Rafale M single-seaters. To date, 120 Rafales have been ordered for both services, and 34 have been delivered.

The Air Force order covers a total of 82 aircraft (44 single-seaters and 38 two-seaters) with an additional 38 Rafale Ms – all single-seaters - for the Navy. Under current plans, production is to continue until 2023.

Five years after the French Navy received its first aircraft, Rafale ushers the French Air Force into the era of network-centric warfare, thanks to its unique capabilities in terms of data fusion, tactical connectivity, passive target detection and weapons load. “You can talk about fourth-generation or fifth-generation aircraft all you want, but what really matters is that Rafale is one full generation ahead of all other aircraft,” says Major General (armament corps) Patrick Dufour, Rafale program director at the French defence procurement agency, Delegation Générale pour l’Armement (DGA). “It can perform any mission, anywhere, and that’s what counts.”

In fact, the French Air Force considers that two Rafales will provide commanders with the same mission capabilities as a formation of four Mirage 2000D attack aircraft escorted by two Mirage 2000-5F air superiority fighters. In this sense, says Dufour, it is a true force multiplier.

The “Provence” squadron’s pilots, who spent about two years working up on the Rafale at the operational conversion unit in Mont de Marsan, have logged an average of 120 to 130 flight hours on the aircraft.

“The most noticeable difference compared to other aircraft is that Rafale is a flying computer. It manages its own flight parameters, leaving its pilot free to concentrate on the tactical mission,” says Capt. Nicolas Lyautey, one of the first pilots of n° 1/7 “Provence” squadron to convert to the Rafale. He previously flew Jaguar fighter-bombers, comparable to Rafale in terms of size and weight but clearly outclassed in terms of capabilities. He went solo on the Rafale after only four flights with an instructor, and says that the aircraft is so simple to operate that pilots can undertake their first operational missions after about 50 flight hours.

The Rafale’s central computer monitors all flight, engine and system parameters as background tasks, and they are only brought up on the cockpit’s three LCD screens or head-up display when a decision or an input is required from the pilot. This avoids information overload, reduces workload and creates an uncluttered environment in which aircrew can concentrate exclusively on flying the mission.

“Using the autopilot, auto-throttle and navigation aids, the aircraft can fly a complete high-speed mission at an altitude of 200 feet above sea level without any intervention by its pilot,” says Jean-Marc Gasparini, deputy Rafale program manager for Dassault Aviation.

One of the more challenging aspects of Rafale operations is how to fully exploit its capabilities, and especially its range of passive sensors. Pilots, for example, can use its TV/thermal imaging observation system (dubbed Optronique Secteur Frontal, and similar in principle to infrared scan and track) to visually identify other aircraft at ranges of more than 50 kilometres (approx. 30 nautical miles), and transmit this and other tactical data to other aircraft using their MIDS datalink.

Another unique capability, according to Col. François Moussez, the French Air force’s Rafale program officer is that it can fire missiles at targets detected and designated by its integrated Spectra countermeasures suite, again without any need for active transmissions that can give away its position.

Remarkably, Rafale will continue to offer capabilities in advance of its competitors thanks to an upgrade policy adopted by the French defence ministry. This ensures that in-service aircraft are upgraded as new capabilities are cleared, so that the entire fleet is always maintained at the latest available standard.

The first Rafales to enter Navy service were configured to the F1 standard, optimised for air-to-air operations. The F2 standard is networked-enabled and adds air-to-ground capabilities, allowing Rafale to fire Scalp cruise missiles, made by MBDA, as well as AASM precision-guided bombs made by Sagem Défense & Securité.

Dassault is now working to finalize the improved F3 standard, which will be available from June 2008 and will add additional weapons, including the ASMPA nuclear stand-off missile, the AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missile and the Thales Reco NG reconnaissance pod. All navy and air force aircraft already in service will be retrofitted to F3 standard by uploading a new software package, which will become standard fit for all subsequent production aircraft.

Further improvements are planned as part of the program’s “R&D feeding policy,” although not all have been approved or funded to date. These will ultimately include uprated Snecma M-88 engines each delivering 9 tonnes of thrust (compared to today’s 7.5 tonnes), a new radar with advanced electronically-scanned antenna replacing the current RBE-2 radar with shaped-beam antenna, a new missile warning receiver, an improved Front Sector Optronics system and, beginning in 2012, the Meteor beyond-visual range missile being developed by a European industry team led by MBDA. If approved, these improvements will become standard beginning with the 120th production aircraft, says DGA’s Dufour.

Despite this apparent complexity, Rafale was designed to operate with bare-bones support, and for instance has entirely done away with scheduled maintenance – a premiere for an advanced combat aircraft. Thanks to its permanent auto-testing processing and real-time monitoring airframe fatigue by the aircraft’s own computer, maintenance operations depend on the real condition of individual components. Furthermore, all operational and maintenance paperwork is stored in a single computer database, allowing detailed monitoring of aircraft condition by maintenance crews as well as outside contractors.

“Our design objective was to reduce maintenance man-hours per flight hours by 23% compared to the Mirage 2000,” says Col Moussez, “and on initial experience we in fact achieved better than 25%.”

French officials are also at pains to stress that Rafale, despite its quantum leap in capabilities, remains much more affordable than competing aircraft. DGA’s Dufour says that the total cost of the 294-aircraft program, including development, pre-production, production and integrated logistical support, amounts to 33,273 million euros (inclusive of value-added tax) at 2003 prices. This is an increase of just 4.18 percent, or 1,336 million euros, over the projected cost in 1988, when the original contract was signed. Competing combat aircraft cost at least one-third more, reinforcing Dassault’s belief that the Rafale will eventually score highly on the export market.

(Source: Rafale International; issued July 3, 2006) http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi...&modele=jdc_34

Compared with earlier generation systems fitted to other fighters, the Rafale’s Man-Machine Interface has been tuned to considerably reduce aircrew workload. One of the most innovative choices made by Dassault Aviation is the introduction of the combined Voice, Throttle and Stick (VTAS) system which drastically eases data entry and systems selections.
«As an alternative to using manual methods, the direct voice input technology allows the pilot to activate data entry functions, and select non-safety-critical modes», explains Philippe Rebourg, Dassault Chief Test Pilot for Military Aircraft. «In some demanding combat scenarios, manual actions can prove painfully slow, and the voice command system increases overall effectiveness: the pilot does not have to look into the cockpit any more. That enables him to focus on the mission and on systems operation.»
Developing such an advanced tool was a challenge since the various speech recognition algorithms had to cope with the noises of the cockpit environment as well as with the stress and the high g-loads that can affect pilots’ voice. But Dassault and Thales engineers overcame all hurdles, and two production Rafales,
two-seaters B301 and B302, are currently equipped with the direct voice input system. «These two aircraft allow us to push development even further», says Philippe Rebourg. «Numerous foreign test pilots have evaluated the system, and they all praise its efficiency: word recognition rates are better than 95 percent, and, depending on the custo

mer’s requirements, the system boasts a vocabular y of between 50 and 300 words. The response time is extremely short (less than 200 ms), and critical voice command selections are confirmed by visual feedback.» Display management, navigation tasking and mode switching are even quicker. A typical example is
radio and navigation aids selection: a single pressure on a button on the throttle activates the voice input system, and, with chosen code words, the pilot can instantly reprogram the flight-plan or select various autopilot modes or radio/IFF frequencies.
«As an added bonus, the voice command system proves also extremely useful by reducing high pilot workload during emergency situations», says Gérard Dailloux, Dassault Flight Safety Vice-President.

The direct voice input system will be available on export Rafale Block 05s, and, although Dassault has mainly concentrated on the Rafale so far, it could be adopted at some stage on the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 and on the future Falcon 7X long-range business jet, helping reduce cost by increasing series production.

Rafale comes battle hardened

By Chris Pocock

Paris Air Show >> June 19 2007
Aircraft

In the fighter aircraft business, there’s no substitute for combat experience, if you want to impress potential customers. The Dassault Rafale has now dropped bombs in anger as part of NATO’s stabilization effort in Afghanistan. Here at the show, the Rafale team (which also includes Snecma and Thales) and the French government are briefing several export delegations about this, as well as the aircraft’s steady progress toward full operational capability.

Rafales from the French air force and navy have flown 150 sorties and 640 hours over Afghanistan since March. Tasked with close air support (CAS), the air force has been flying two-ship sorties comprising one Rafale and one Mirage 2000D out of Dushanbe airbase in Tajikistan. The navy has similarly flown mixed sorties–Rafale plus Super Etendard–from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, located in the Arabian Sea. It has been a 500-mile transit from each location to the area of interest and each sortie has required three air-to-air refuelings.

GBU-12 bombs have been dropped on six occasions. Because the Rafales have not yet achieved a self-designation capability, their targets are being laser-illuminated by pods on the Mirages and Super Etendards. The Thales Damocles pod is not due to enter service on the Rafale until February 2009. The Sagem AASM GPS-guided bomb is now in final flight tests on the Rafale and will be available for operations later this year.

The Rafales that have flown over Afghanistan are F2 standard jets, with a more capable mission computer than on the first 13 aircraft that went into service with the navy back in 2004. The Rafale team is now working on the F3 upgrade, which adds the Reco-NG reconnaissance pod, the ASMP-A nuclear strike missile and the AM39 Exocet antiship missile.

Since last October, the Rafale team has also been working on an F3-Plus version, also known as the Roadmap contract. This will add a new-generation missile-warning system, a more complete laser-guided bomb capability to include GBU-24 and a new-generation Forward Sector Optronics (FSO) system (the EO/IR system that gives pilots visual identification of targets). But the most important part of F3+ is the addition of an active-array antenna to the aircraft’s Thales RBE2 radar. (For more detail on the RBE2 AA, see page 6 of tomorrow’s edition.)

To pay for this contract, the French government stretched delivery of some of the 120 Rafales that are already on order, of which nearly 50 have been delivered. Dassault said that the ultimate French objective is still to acquire 294 of these warplanes. All of them, except possibly those first 13 aircraft, will eventually be upgraded to F3 standard.

The first French air force Rafale squadron was declared operational exactly one year ago, at St. Dizier airbase. Before the deployment to Tajikistan, the squadron participated in a NATO Tiger Meet last October and a NATO Tactical Leadership Program (TLP) exercise early this year. The second Air Force squadron is due to start working-up this summer.

The Rafale has yet to attract an export order, though it came close in Korea and Singapore. Earlier this year, Dassault made a pitch to India for the sale of 40 Rafales to the F3+ standard. India is expected to issue a formal RFP for 120 new fighters.

Operational Impressions
Aviation International News spoke with two French military staff officers who have also been Rafale pilots, one from the air force, one from the navy, about the aircraft’s recent operational experience. Here’s what they said:

“We tested our swing role during the Tiger Meet, with good results. We could play in the air-to-ground role, while still monitoring air-to-air. We flew fighter sweep missions, then switched to strike and force protection. The strike missions included supersonic dash, and took place in a dense adversary environment.

“At the Tiger Meet, our two aircraft achieved 100-percent availability for the entire week. On the ramp, we demonstrated how the aircraft can be turned around by just one ground crew. The other teams were very impressed by that.

“The FSO also worked very well. It allowed us to identify our opponents at longer ranges than they could see us, while still complying with the RoE [rules of engagement]. So we won all our air-to-air battles, which were against
F-16 MLUs and Tornado F3s.

“We think that our Link 16 [NATO-standard secure data communications system] is the key to interoperability. Using it, we were able to keep very quiet in combat. Lots of air forces say they are compliant with it, but some of their aircraft don’t have the data keys.

“We were surprised by the efficiency of the Spectra electronic warfare system. It gave us a DEAD [destruction of enemy air defenses] capability that we had not envisaged. Spectra gave us a bearing on a [simulated] SAM site, despite our having been deliberately given the wrong location by intelligence. Then the FSO slewed to confirm the location.

“At Dushanbe, we’ve achieved 12 maintenance man-hours per flying hour with three Rafales. That’s the same rate as our Mirage 2000Ds–which is a mature weapons system.

“I have flown foreign evaluation pilots in our two-seaters, who have also flown the Eurofighter and the Gripen. They told me that our man-machine interface and data fusion is better than those aircraft.”


Rafales for Saudi Arabia? The Facts

There has been some speculation that Saudi Arabia has evaluated the Rafale as an alternative to the Eurofighter Typhoon, because of the row in the UK over alleged corrupt dealings between the UK and the Kingdom in the previous Al Yamamah contracts. In particular, the recent BBC-TV Panorama program suggested that Prince Bandar, the son of the Saudi defense minister, flew to Paris for a meeting with then-President Jacques Chirac late last year, thereby prompting the UK government to call off a government investigation into the dealings.

AIN has learned that although Chirac hoped that Prince Bandar would express interest in the Rafale, he did not. Instead, Bandar discussed other French defense kit that could go to Saudi Arabia.

A couple of Saudi pilots have flown in a two-seat Rafale. But “there have never been any real negotiations, and certainly no discussions on price or standards,” a well-placed source told AIN.