Dassault Rafale - Variants, Characteristics, Armament and Performance

Now I’ve never heard of that one, you got me curious. But tbh I doubt they’d give pilots a lower available combat g-load than what’s achievable during display (at least in A2A config). Would make no sense.

Solo display configuration is a specific air frame (4-CH) with no weapons and no pylons, and plenty of fuel to perform the display + a reserve.

Each display features specific choreography of maneuvers and the pilot is permitted to exceed the maximum G limit briefly if required.

The air frame is only used for display & training purposes

Wikipedia isn’t a valid source and eitherway nothing in there says the solo display airframe isn’t a standard one.

I’ve never seen any writen source nor heard any display pilot say the airframe is a specifically modified version.

Wikipedia is not the source.
They just have easily kept a record of the display regime which used to be posted on the Rafael Solo Display website until 2022

Not sure how official it is, but this is where any reference for 10.5g comes from, usually annotated with “Solo Display”

https://www.rafalesolodisplay.com/

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In A2A config, you have G-limiters depending on what you carry,…

If you have a lot of wing pylons, even with A2A weapons the limit might be around 9G.

That said, with wing fuel tanks, it is around 6.5G (that was in a documentary somewhere on youtube, made by french people)

Same airframe, can go with specific G-limiter software.

they don’t want to make the gripen stronger.

Just noticed this while looking at the AASM brochure again:
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It’ll be interesting to see the AASM receive a dual mode seeker to bring it more in-line with the PGM’s of most other nations. Maybe laser + IR so they dont have to pick either or anymore, allowing for more flexibility in the types of targets they can engage, or maybe they’ll go with laser + MMW seeker to improve the weapons ability vs mobile target and eliminate the need for the rafale to baby the munition all the way to impact. Little late to the party with other nations beginning to push into tri-mode seekers though, but it is a strap on kit for dumb bombs to be made into PGM’s for cheap, so its definitely forgivable.

As for the “new range extension kit”, I wouldn’t be surprised if they gave it some proper wings to extend its range some more, along with maybe a new turbojet similar to what’s seen on the SPEAR 3 to extend its range further, turning it into the first strap-on cruise missile kit?

It’ll be interesting to see what future development comes out of it.

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Probably won’t come until Rafale F5 in the form of AASF

Though this graphic misses other new changes such as new engine and further reduced cross section.

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Maybe, but just from the graphic there, AASF looks like something different than what AASM currently is. Graphs also pretty weird since the way the AASF are laid out would interfere with the elevons, so its probably no use trying to figure stuff out from that pic.

Not sure when defense companies and militaries will finally get some ppl that actually know what they’re doing to make their art renditions and videos and stuff, but I sure hope they get that figured out sooner rather than later…

So, okay, I have been wanting to ask, what exactly IS AASF? I look it up and just see Anti Radiation Missile but I also see that it should have other forms of navigation? Or is it just more Safran making something and sharing nothing

the shape makes me think of spear 3 tbh

Anti radiation should be the FC/ASW, basically a successor to the SCALP/Storm Shadow and Exocet.

The FC/ASW basically comes in 2 shapes with the brits mainly developing a subsonic and stealthy variant while the french went for a supersonic variant. It’s the one named “new cruise missile” in the picture

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Probs stands for “armement air sol future”. Theres a good chance it isnt actually anything particularly new, and its just a stand in term theyre using for either a new AASM kit, or like @dedale_stargate mentionned, they do kind of look like SPEAR 3, except the artist seems to have stuck them rightside up, which is wrong…

Spoiler


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I think some ppl in this thread would have a conniption if the Rafale did integrate the SPEAR 3 tho. Lots of memes would probs come from it too 😂

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to be fair, french and british vehicle sharing each other’s munitions is going to be more and more common as time goes on

That being said, spear 3 on Rafale has not been confirmed yet, so we’ll see how that goes

I mean, its a good idea, I’m not saying I wouldnt like to see Brimstone or SPEAR 3 on the Rafale, both are very capable munitions and bring capabilities the Rafale doesnt yet have, but some ppl here are adamant that the Brimstone seeker (and by extension the SPEAR 3 one) is worthless garbage that only works in test environments and never in actual combat, so itd be REALLY funny to me if their fav jet decided to integrate the “worthless” munitions they hate so much

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Probably not, I for one would have a grinch-like smile creeping across my face if Dassault decided to slap an ASRAAM on the Rafale for whatever reason they might have

I cant see much reason for the ASRAAM on the Rafale when they already have MICA-IR (and NG in the works), the missiles effectively do the same job and are both based on a similar design philosophy. IRIS-T on the other hand would be something new and its secondary missile self defense capability would likely be very well leveraged by SPECTRA

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Well its just an example, my point of view on weapons for Rafale is:
haha, more toy to play with

I have a certain opinion of hardcore nationalists, but let’s say it’s completely off topic X)

SCALP / StormShadow and Aster-15/30 will be a unique occasion to see which one is stronger : “british tax” or “french bias” (i put quotes, because it’s a bit more complicated than that). Both of these ammunitions are shared between the 2 nations (among others)

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Its more a in your face point for the french extremists who are constantly parading that their tech is superior.
Like seen with the AASM Hammer currently and the IR kit not being meaned for moving targets but for more stationary ones.
They went around how its superior and how the IR is better then MMW only to turn out the IR hammer only has a range of 1.5km, which has been reported now as well, cause they are misinterpreting sources constantly.
It will turn into a worse penguin missle.
The laser AASM is meaned for moveable targets similar to brimstone SAL for in crowded areas where collateral wants to be avoided.
Now if the french decided to go get spear 3 as their new main armament it would be a real gut punch since it would further show how they where wrong the whole time.

But if your only opinion is oh nice new toys.All power to you. Its the best way to handle the game