They listed the pilot model countries to be added in the 2024 roadmap. France was not on that list, so I suggested that we should add a French Air Force pilot model and it passed. Expect to see them next year.
The problem is (I think) that you are confusing Dassault the DGA and the French army.
It is not because the plane was tested by Dassault and the DGA with 8 missiles that the French army necessarily has 8 missiles under its planes.
Dassault proposed the plane with 14 hardpoints but the French army decided not to keep the additional points for the Mica, something that India did not do for example.
The images and articles that you present in your PDF all concern tests by Dassault and/or the DGA, not by the French army. All those preceding the entry into service of the F3R in the French army are versions presented by Dassault or the DGA.
To quote one of your sources:
“This preliminary work, self-funded by Dassault Aviation are conducted in collaboration with the Direction Générale de l’Armement (the French Defense Procurement Agency) and will eventually lead to a complete clearance of the flight envelope.”
The tests were carried out and validated by Dassault and the DGA but never used by the French army.
Spoiler
Source 1 :
“This preliminary work, self-funded by Dassault Aviation’s are conducted in collaboration with the DGA and will eventually lead to a complete clearance of the flight envelope. Photo: Dassault Aviation”
→ Dassault and the DGA, so not the franch army
Source 2 :
“Viseur de casque, 2ASM, missiles Météor, MICA, etc… découvrez toutes les nouveautés du #Rafale F4 ! Fred et Jeff vous emmènent faire une visite détaillée du @TheDassaultAviation #rafalef4 pendant plus de 20 min au @SalonDuBourget !
[/details]”
→ Presentation of a Rafale F4
“Au Bourget nous avons eu la chance de pouvoir approcher un beau Rafale exposé avec ses armements sur le stand Dassault.”
→ Dassault stand, so not from the air force
Source 3 :
“This preliminary work, self-funded by Dassault Aviation are conducted in collaboration with the Direction Générale de l’Armement (the French Defense Procurement Agency) and will eventually lead to a complete clearance of the flight envelope.”
→ Dassault and the DGA, so not the franch army
Source 4 :
“En effet, Dassault Aviation a annoncé, ce 23 janvier, avoir réalisé des vols d’essais avec un Rafale dans une configuration « très lourdement armée » et inédite, comprenant 6 munitions AASM (armement air-sol modulaire à Hammer, 4 missiles air-air moyenne portée de la famille MICA, 2 missiles Meteor très longue portée et 3 réservoirs de 2.000 litres.”
→ Dassault, so not the franch army
Source 6 :
→ Dassault twitter account
Source 7 :
→ Dassault Picture
Source 8 :
→ No source for the image so it’s hard to know
Source 9 :
→ Dassault exhibition stand
Source 10 :
→ Dassault exhibition stand
Source 11 :
→ It is not known what aircraft standard this is + excerpt from a Dassault promotional video
Source 12:
→ Dassault exhibition stand
Source 13 :
→ Dassault exhibition stand
Source 14 :
→ Image taken from previous articles
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sorry to hop in.
ive been reading a bit of the argument.
even if this is the actual setup chosen by the armee de l air, we already know its not beyond Gajin to cheat “a bit” for balance purpose (M2K-5F 8 missiles setup, F16AJ and many more)
I was going to say, I hate to mention the F-16AJ again, especially since I really just don’t have a problem with it. But if that plane is okay, only based on manufacturer specs and a test, then I really don’t see the big deal of giving the Rafale 8 missiles
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Who cares what the french airforce used, if the plane is able to take more
At that point the Mirage 4000 never used irl the 530d too
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Let alone the missile loadout, Rafale’s low speed FM sucks right now. I’m able to beat EFs in the Mirage 2K5F while I can’t (couldn’t) do the same thing in the dev server (I’m still researching Rafale, but shouldn’t make a difference since its FM stayed the same) with Rafale.
I know this is heresy for me to say this, but I would prefer the F-4F ICE in low speed turn fights over Rafale at this point
Edit : okay yeah I’m exxagarating, but still, doesn’t change the fact that Rafale is a downgrade from Mirage 2K5F right now
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From my experience Rafale beats anything in low speed dogfights, i easily dusted couple EFT’s who dared to challenge me in 1vs1 on live server.
Problem is when they start to runaway, due to limited top speed on deck they can easily run away from you.
oddly enough, I had more success with the Mirage 2K5F against everyone. Just feels better at low speeds, like it can maintain a faster turn than Rafale at speeds of 350kmh
It’s still behaving very weirdly. It just doesn’t see anything unless you track them first with an acquisition lock.
Against test drive Mig15, from 30km to contact : nothing on my TWS at all. If I lock one manually, they then appear on the TWS screen and are tracked properly, but it looks like the TWS is completely blind by itself, somehow.
Current Rafale beats Mirage2k easily in dogfight, Mirage doesnt stand a chance unless Rafale pilot makes a huge mistake.
I think it’s a combination of the Rafale radar being extremely bad, and the novelty of the FM. When we get used to it it will feel better to play.
The same way I can’t for the life of me do anything in the f16am when it’s not much worse, if not better than the Mirage on paper
Radar works much better than yesterday, tho it doesnt come close to its real life performance.
yesterday the radar got notched BY THE MIG-15 IN THE TEST FLIGHT
How does it compare now ?
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Haven’t played it today :). Hot patch finally came, nice. Any changes beside radar ?
It feels much more consistent and works much better, tho from time to time it still looses lock for a sec then reacquires really fast.
I dont know if its me but it pulls harder looks like, i was bein able to pull 14-16G’s without an issue.
that could be deadly in turn fights. Does the HMS lock any easier compared to the Mirage or any other jet ? Since Rafale’s radar is also supposed to make this easier afaik
HMD locks significantly faster than Mirage i can tell that but as usual it refuses to lock sometimes just like any other plane.
gotcha thanks
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i KNEW it wasnt just me
idk why but HMD locks are SOOOO unreliable.
maybe their lock acquisition time is way too short?