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

Or the fact that IF the document in question was being used to model the EFT under the assumption that gaijin had seen them, then they are willingly mismodelling aspects of the EFT covered in said document quite significantly and to the detriment of its performance as a combat platform…

Overall its a horrible argument they’re using, and not one we should even be having on the forums considering their rules

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Anyway, typhoon weight discussion should go either in the battlefield thread or dedicated EFT threads

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EFT subject?
here: Eurofighter vs Rafale battlefield - #1019 by Flame2512

and btw,… WRTI gives EF-2000 for 11220 kg.

More orders of Rafale (61 and would result in 286 planes which was was originally intended at the very start before those orders being reduced) from France alongside talk about new capability that f4.3 standard could get ?

In addition to this acquisition, next year the ministry will launch a version of the Rafale capable of neutralizing enemy air defenses (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense or SEAD).

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Why do I’ve the feeling that F.4.2 may be skipped entirely or only produced / converted in very small numbers.

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Yeah, that is probably why France can afford to test f4.2 and f4.3 at the same time, just a software update for some sead stuff between the two standard that will be applied to the rest of the aircraft.

But i thought f4.3 was planned for 2027.

seems to be planned for 2030, as source says that the “last command of 42 Rafale for France will be F.4.2 then F4.3 starting in 2030 - for a production going from 2027 to 2032” [resumed]
Sources:

Same as F.5:

that is planned for 2030

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By the way won’t the F5 get new intakes since it gets more powerful engines?
Pretty sure I’ve read that somewhere

I have also read the opposite that optimization will be fully into more efficient engine and no change to the intakes, so i would guess, this would, with a change of intakes makes the thrust even better.

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I’m interested what another set of Rafale Buff meme Gaijin will add for this not-so-major update lol.

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I’m expecting VnE buff tbh.

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Rafale F4.2 making qualification flights

Thanks to Midori for pointing it out.

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When they say " 6 modules sur les 21 modules de l’actuel M-88 seront modifiés , notamment ceux qui se rapportent à la compression de l’air et au refroidissement dans la turbine haute-pression, avec une reprise des entrées et sorties d’air ", by " entrées et sorties d’air " do you think they mean the intakes/outlets of the engine itself or could it mean those of the airframe?

I have no idea, i just know the comment of the author answering to someone asking if rafale would require more air and so bigger intakes as the engine would get stronger that there seem to be more optimization to be done in the combustion chamber.

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Alright. I was wondering because after the 2025 Salon du Bourget where the F5 was presented, I saw some videos where people talked about this possibility since the Rafale was getting a new, more powerful engine.
Also is there any news on a possible new improved radar? Currently the RBE2 is kinda a microwave no?

Generally, the entirety of the engine was developed to be modular. They could replace the compressor stage, add more stages, change the injection and burn stage, the turbine, the post combustion stage.
Initial papers from the 90s about the 9T thrust m88 did say that this would also require changes to the inlet of the plane itself, with swaps to the compressor and post combustion stages. It’s likely that they use a newer method for the T Rex tho.

As for the precise point you asked about, it’s only about the engine itself. Safran doesn’t make the airframe, they do however probably give required air intake specs that dassault then has to achieve with the airframe design

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RBE2 appears to have 2 upgrades proposed. One with the same architecture but probably some form of GaN implementation starting with the later F4 standard, and one redesigned radar, the RBE2-XG, fully utilizing GaN and with multiple improvements such as detecting and jamming simultaneously, for F5 standard

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New stealthy rafale

Spoiler

source

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Tried to put a post on dev server discussion regarding the addition of exocet and stuff if anyone cares to add to it. Exocet could be provided to Rafale if it were added. Sea Eagle is being added on Hawk according to news, so the argument against exocet from the prior rafale thread no longer stands.

Also could be provided to Etendard IVM (french+argentinian), Super Etendard(french), Mirage 2000-5’s (through the greek one mount)