Dassault Rafale - Variants, Characteristics, Armament and Performance

Machinery of War Discussion Aircraft
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3162

Well, it’s getting late and I don’t have time but here is some example of a non-F4 Rafale with the MICA on the external wing pylon

The Rafale F3 was put into service in 2008.
The Rafale F3R in 2021.
And finally, the F4 2024.

So if we if this logic of commissioning any information before 2024 is a version of the Rafale F3 r or other.

First article (Jan 27, 2014): https://defense-update.com/20140127_rafale_omnirole_configuration.html
DGA Test:
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The Rafale has successfully completed its first test flights in a new heavily-armed configuration, comprising six air-to-ground precision AASM Hammer missiles, four medium and long range air-to-air missiles from the MICA family, two very long range METEOR missiles, as well as three 2,000 liter fuel tanks. Photo: Dassault Aviation
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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
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“Four MICA air-to-air missiles and two very long range Meteor missiles will be complementing the fighter’s air-to-air capability. The MICA missiles are operational and can be employed with IR or radar guided. These Meteor missiles are yet to enter service – but they are expected to be fielded with the F3-R variant by 2018.”

second Article: (July 10, 2021)

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Rafale B01 prototype: where the MICAs are already equipped under wing on the pylon (2 and 13)

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Video : Salon du bourget 2023
Rafale F3-R
(Sortie le 17 juil. 2023 by ATE CHUET )

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Time code: 3:03

(Sortie le 22 juin 2023 by Xavier Tytelman)

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Time code : 7:36

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And there we can see a Rafale B with the MICA on the Pylon (2 and 13), still in 2023 so the F4 has still not entered service

We already have quite a few sources to affirm that the MICA Missile was mounted on the pylon (2 and 13) well before 2024 and the arrival of the Rafale F4

Other article:

(Sunday, November 21, 2010)
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Rafale avec un mica sur le point d’emport externe de l’aile (Bourget 2009)
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We can already see that in 2009 the Missile was mounted on these pylon
other image : 阵风翼下加挂的米卡导弹_新浪图集_新浪网
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Well if we move on to the most fantastic thing:
https://x.com/MBDAGroup/status/1303973441972965378

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It’s a cool image but it doesn’t prove anything, sad ^^

And last:
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@Smin1080p_WT & @WreckingAres283
Thanks for reading

12 Likes
3163

I cant even get it to 101… mousewheel lets me go to 100-103-106-109-110. In sims, i have detent so its pretty much not possible to get low AB setting for me.

3164

Buddy, they dont care. Gaijin has 0 incentive to make french TT powerful. On top of that, you have bunch of people here who will happily spend 40 hours just trying to shut down anything proposing another 2 pylons for rafale in french TT and i highly doubt they even have french TT.

8 Likes
3165

The funniest thing is that if he had added the MICA IR we would surely have all waited for the F4 for the 8 missiles but no ^^

3166

Imho… it should have been added. Combined IRCCM of magic and 9M, limited to wingtips only so 2 IRs max. At range, it should be possible to defeat them, at close, most likely impossible and to be fair, i dont care. If you get this close on top tier, they should be punished.

4 Likes
3167

Ah yeah adding a missiles that’d mean giving the whole range of other TVC IR missiles in game. Peak idea. Would give litterally no advantage in the end

2 Likes
3168

Noone else should get them,… noone else is limited to 6 short ranged fox3s only.

1 Like
3169

Gripen. 4 ARH, 2 IR

3170

Every single one exept britain gets amraams…

3171

Doesn’t change anything. AMRAAM is very easy to dodge at long ranges. AMRAAM has high PK in the exact same area where MICA is basically a free kill on aa target above 100m from the ground.

2 Likes
3172

I am French myself but unlike 70% of the whiners that popped out of nowhere the moment Rafale got announced i just am not whining to get improvements that i know i don’t desperately need. People that complain about Rafale lacking missiles actually just show they come from nations that always had lots of missiles and never actually played France for an extended period of time. Having a poor number of missiles has never been an issue for true France players.

9 Likes
3173

Because the Eurofighter’s STR is underperforming. And presumably Rafale’s is too.

2 Likes
3174

Ok… got Rafale and EF… Rafale CANT even compete with typhoon. Not even close. The BVR capability of typhoon is insane, even with that broken radar. The acceleration is crazy on nearly stock performance one.
Rafale doesnt belong at 14.0 if EF is 14.0.

6 Likes
3175

Do you think there is room for a suggestion to increase the VNe on the deck? I think it is clear for this type of fighter that it is a restriction on the maximum flight speed to protect the RAM coating and not a structural or engine limitation. Perhaps they can use a larger modifier for these fighters going forward as a suggestion.

8 Likes
3176

did you try the rafale in SIM AB? pure stock suffering

3177

Nah, i dont even stock grind top tier planes.
I always gold it to missiles.
Rafale sucks anyway. It CANT compete at range, you always have to be in defensive. But hey, lets limit it to 6 mediocre missiles that are good below like 10km.

5 Likes
3178

i would be ok with 6 missiles…

…if they were competitive just like the others, plus ofc the subpar “AESA” we got and a not-360 RWR-MWS, or even a HUD cue for magic IIs, for real, is this a realistic feature of the rafale? not having a fox2 pipper on the hud?

3 Likes
3179

Iam pretty sure that hud is completely wrong for most part.

3180

I hope they improve locking capabilities in helmet and ACM… because now, it refuses to lock beaming targets.
It can be actually decent, if the radar is jacked AF and will just lock and keep the lock anytime you look at something.
Now you cant really even use mica offbore as HMD simply refuses to lock anything thats not hot on you.
Whats cool is its ITR at speed. You can shove your nose around once and pretty much force anyone into defensive after merge - if they continue in turn, you smack them with headon mica.

1 Like
3181

Errr quite the discussion going on here …

So far my experience with Raf has been phenomenal as a sim player, took me a minute to get used to all of the information that is fed to the pilot but now I am extremely comfortable in it.

The flight model however feels extremely unrealistic, now of course like most if not all of us we have not flown a Raf in real life, but I just don’t think its supposed to perform this well but that would go for every and all aicraft in this game. Guess it is a game after all.

Have also neither yet met a competent EF player and they all are free kills. The radar is iffy but gets the job done until we get it fixed and the hms locking Honza mentioned can be ridiculous sometimes but haven’t experienced it in a bit now. The gun is incredible as well and is extremely satisfying.

The hud looks phenomenal, MFDs look excellent but can be improved of course but so far everything about the Raf is 11/10 in my experience excluding Radar.

I don’t bother with M2’s and run Full mica’s and it absolutely destroys in Sim.

Hope to get radar fixed asap and otherwise hope all of you others are having a great experience as well!

9 Likes