Dassault Rafale - Variants, Characteristics, Armament and Performance - Part 2

Even aside from that, the fact that horizontal stabilization is still not added to pods already in game is criminal

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So uh, better hmd and radar… not bad I guess

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On the image just before the impact we can see TTI - time to impact which is still not present on our rafales in game btw.
And, the bomb is also flagged like a friendly IFF mark which is interesting

Edit : also credit to the original authors rather than the think tank :
https://x.com/chasseembarquee/status/1995923572133691863?s=46

Nop, the radar and HMD are those found on the current F3R in game.

Physically yeah but software upgrades exist and I know they have done some at some point, so them happening on the F.4 standards wouldn’t surprise me

My point the is that it would not have any impact in game

oh for sure

This is an abysmal take, it’s been proven to cruise from Mach 4.5-5, this puts it in the realms of R37M and R-33, AMRAAM and MICA wouldn’t even compare in terms of Time to target since METEOR will cruise at this speed for tens of seconds before then gliding

where did u get the info for its cruise speed ? im trying to learn more abt meteor.

It uses a ramjet. The optimal operational speed for ramjet is anywhere from Mach 4 to Mach 5 approximately.
Following the brochure below, comparing probably to the AMRAAM, maybe MICA (doesn’t really state what missile the meteor is compared to), it would probably put the Meteor at roughly Mach 4 cruising speed, maybe a bit lower, not Mach 4.5 (with MICA having a peak speed of Mach 4.5, the AMRAAM right around Mach 4, and their peak speed being higher than the meteor)
Tho, with its speed being on average much higher than normal AMRAAM, you can expect the time to target above say 30km to be much better than regular AMRAAM, and probably still similar to long range missiles like the PL15 and AIM260 at their max range

Certain on those figures? I could 100% be mis-remembering. But thought it was about M3.5 for optimal speed for ramjet

With the variable throttle. I guess at long range would cruise at 3.5 but at shorter ranges just send it, so might be more like 4-4.5

this diagram makes it look like it cruises at M 3/3.5
image
i think meteors time to target will be better beyond 10-20km

Yeah, it probably will.

It’s why I think German Typhoons have been using aim-120Ds alongside Meteors

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germany uses aim120d ?

They had to get some for their F35s as the Americans wont integrate meteor in a timely fashions

they ordered it in 2025 right ? i thought they haven’t received it yet.

Ordered what?

AIM-120D I’m assuming

image

so,… 2022 and 2024, not 2025
but still not active.

apart that: Germany doesn’t need to buy F-35 to get AIM-120D already, but it seems that they never ordered AIM-120D, and sticked to the AIM-120C-8 variants,… and that there is only studies for the AIM-120D-3 procurement alongside F-35’s

still in discussion in september 2025

so they dont have aim120d in active service ? i thought they ordered aim120d in 2025 based on a news articles Germany Pays More for AIM-120 Than Its Own Meteor But There’s No Other Option | Defense Express
ig its not true then