Page 41 - Latinaero_magazine_issue_02_March_2012

41 revista Latinaero
C losely tailored after French military needs and now a well combat proven fgh-
ter – after months of sustained sorties over Afghanistan and Libya – the Rafale
has certainly demonstrated its true value in war operations. First to its prime opera-
tors, the Armée de l’Air and the Aéronavale, but – more important – also to potential
customers worldwide. With over 100 Rafales now delivered to the French Air Force
and Navy, Dassault Aviation has reached a landmark in the aircraft’s production order
book which currently stands at 190 for the French Air Force (71 Rafale C single-sea-
ters and 79 Rafale B duals) and Navy (40 Rafale Ms).
Not taking into account any export sales, production of the Rafale for the French
armed forces is putatively secured until 2019 and foreseen to last until 2025 – the
date set for the aircraft’s mandatory MLU, or mid-life update programme. Discernible
lifespan of the Rafale has been set at some ffty years (to 2055-2065) and current
plan by the French Ministry of Defence is to equip the Aéronavale (Navy) with a total
of 58 Rafale Ms (enough to arm three fottilles or naval air squadrons embarked on
the nuclear aircraft-carrier Charles-de-G aulle) and the Armée de l’Air (Air Force) with a
total of 228 Rafale B/Cs (enough to equip a dozen squadrons in the end).
Let’s call to the reader’s mind that, by the terminus of this decade, the multi role
Rafale will be needed to replace all the fghter types in service in France, lest a few
remaining hundred modernised Mirage 2000D fghter-bombers and Mirage 2000-5F
interceptors due to soldier on at least until 2022. At that time, the remaining Mirage
F1s, Mirage 2000Ns, Mirage 2000Cs and carrier-based Super-Étendards will all have
been withdrawn from active service, most of their missions being taken over by the
Number 2 - 2012
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 Empurrado pelas 14 toneladas de empuxo
de seus dois motores Snecma M88, um Rafale
M da Flottille 12F da Marinha francesa é visto
deixando o porta-aviões Charles-de-Gaulle em
abril de 2011 para um voo de reconhecimento
de longa duração sobre a Líbia. O caça está
armado com quatro Mica EM sob a fuselagem e
dois Mica IR nas pontas das asas.
A Rafale M of Flottille 12F is seen launching
from FS Charles-de-Gaulle in April 2011 for a long
duration battle-assessment reconnaissance
sortie. The fighter is armed with four MBDA
Mica EMs under the fuselage and two Mica IRs
on the wing tips. © ECPAD