Multirole Combat Fighter : Dassault Rafale

Efran Syah       Fighter Aircraft    Comment   

(Credit: Paul Nelhams from Shannon, Ireland)

The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation.

The Rafale fighter jet is a high-precision Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft. This is said to be one of the most modern 4th generation aircraft. It has the capability to carry a mix of armament as well as deliver them accurately.

Dassault Rafale B at Paris Air Show 2007. (Credit: Dmitry A. Mottl)

Rafale fighter jets are built in such a way that they can ensure its own survivability with onboard systems itself. The design provides more chances of survival in a hostile air environment and ensures high maneuverability.

The Dassault Rafale equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. The Rafale is referred to as an "omnirole" aircraft by Dassault.

(Credit: Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany)

Dassault chose to combine a delta wing with active close-coupled canard to maximize manoeuvrability. The Rafale is an aerodynamically unstable aircraft and uses digital fly-by-wire flight controls to artificially enforce and maintain stability.

The aircraft's canards also act to reduce the minimum landing speed to 115 knots (213 km/h; 132 mph); while in flight, airspeeds as low as 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) have been observed during training missions.

According to simulations by Dassault, the Rafale has sufficient low speed performance to operate from STOBAR-configured aircraft carriers, and can take off using a ski-jump with no modifications.

Dassault Rafale at Turku Airshow 2019. (Credit: Htm)

Although not a full-aspect stealth aircraft, the cost of which was viewed as unacceptably excessive, the Rafale was designed for a reduced radar cross-section (RCS) and infrared signature. In order to reduce the RCS, changes from the initial technology demonstrator include a reduction in the size of the tail-fin, fuselage reshaping, repositioning of the engine air inlets underneath the aircraft's wing, and the extensive use of composite materials and serrated patterns for the construction of the trailing edges of the wings and canards.

Seventy percent of the Rafale's surface area is composite. Many of the features designed to reduce the Rafale's visibility to threats remain classified.

Dassault Rafale at Turku Airshow 2019. (Credit: Htm)

The Rafale's glass cockpit was designed around the principle of data fusion—a central computer selects and prioritises information to display to pilots for simpler command and control. The primary flight controls are arranged in a hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS)-compatible configuration, with a right-handed side-stick controller and a left-handed throttle.

(Credit: David Monniaux)

The Rafale core avionics systems employ an integrated modular avionics (IMA), called MDPU (modular data processing unit). This architecture hosts all the main aircraft functions such as the flight management system, data fusion, fire control, and the man-machine interface.

The total value of the radar, electronic communications and self-protection equipment is about 30 percent of the cost of the entire aircraft.

According to Dassault, the IMA greatly assists combat operations via data fusion, the continuous integration and analysis of the various sensor systems throughout the aircraft, and has been designed for the incorporation of new systems and avionics throughout the Rafale's service life.

(Credit: konflikty.pl)

The Rafale was first outfitted with the Thales RBE2 passive electronically scanned multi-mode radar. Thales claims to have achieved increased levels of situational awareness as compared to earlier aircraft through the earlier detection and tracking of multiple air targets for close combat and long-range interception, as well as real-time generation of three-dimensional maps for terrain-following and the real-time generation of high resolution ground maps for navigation and targeting.

A French F-2 Rafale fighter lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during combined French and American carrier qualifications. 19 July 2008. (Credit: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew DeWitt)

For compatibility with armaments of varying types and origins, the Rafale's onboard store management system is compliant with MIL-STD-1760, an electrical interface between an aircraft and its carriage stores, thereby simplifying the incorporation of many of their existing weapons and equipment.

Rafale - RIAT 2017. (Credit: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK)

The Rafale is typically outfitted with 14 hardpoints, five of which are suitable for heavy armament or equipment such as auxiliary fuel tanks, and has a maximum external load capacity of nine tons. In addition to the above equipment, the Rafale carries the 30 mm GIAT 30 revolver cannon and can be outfitted with a range of laser-guided bombs and ground-attack munitions.

Rafale - RIAT 2011. (Credit: Tim Felce - Airwolfhound)

According to Dassault, the Rafale's onboard mission systems enable ground attack and air-to-air combat operations to be carried out within a single sortie, with many functions capable of simultaneous execution in conjunction with another, increasing survivability and versatility.

Rafale - RIAT 2018. (Credit: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK)

The Rafale is fitted with two Snecma M88 engines, each capable of providing up to 50 kilonewtons (11,000 pounds-force) of dry thrust and 75 kN (17,000 lbf) with afterburners. The engines feature several advances, including a non-polluting combustion chamber, single-crystal turbine blades, powder metallurgy disks, and technology to reduce radar and infrared signatures. The M88 enables the Rafale to supercruise while carrying four missiles and one drop tank.

Rafale - RIAT 2018. (Credit: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK)

Introduced in 2001, the Rafale is being produced for both the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations in the French Navy. The Rafale has been marketed for export to several countries, and was selected for purchase by the Indian Air Force, the Egyptian Air Force, and the Qatar Air Force. The Rafale has been used in combat over Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria.

General characteristics
Crew: 1 or 2
Length: 15.27 m (50 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 10.90 m (35 ft 9 in)
Height: 5.34 m (17 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 45.7 m2 (492 sq ft)
Empty weight:

• 10,300 kg (22,708 lb) (B)
• 9,850 kilograms (21,720 lb) (C)
• 10,600 kilograms (23,400 lb) (M)

Gross weight: 15,000 kg (33,069 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 24,500 kg (54,013 lb)
Fuel capacity:

• 4,700 kg (10,362 lb) internal for single-seater (C)
• 4,400 kg (9,700 lb) for two-seater (B)

Maximum fuel: (C): 16,550 l (4,370 US gal; 3,640 imp gal) (5,750 l (1,520 US gal; 1,260 imp gal) internal + 2,300 l (610 US gal; 510 imp gal) in 2x conformal tanks + 8,500 l (2,200 US gal; 1,900 imp gal) in 5 drop tanks)
Powerplant: 2 × Snecma M88-2 turbofans, 50.04 kN (11,250 lbf) thrust each dry, 75 kN (17,000 lbf) with afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed:

• 2,223 km/h (1,381 mph, 1,200 kn) / Mach 1.8 at high altitude
• 1,390 km/h, 860 mph, 750 kn / Mach 1.1 at low altitude

Supercruise: Mach 1.4
Combat range: 1,850 km (1,150 mi, 1,000 nmi) on penetration mission with three tanks (5,700 L), two SCALP-EG and two MICA AAMs.
Ferry range: 3,700 km (2,300 mi, 2,000 nmi) with 3 drop tanks
Service ceiling: 15,835 m (51,952 ft)
g limits: +9 −3.6 (+11 in emergencies)
Rate of climb: 304.8 m/s (60,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 328 kg/m2 (67 lb/sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 0.988 (100% fuel, 2 EM A2A missile, 2 IR A2A missile) version B
Armament
Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.2 in) GIAT 30/M791 autocannon with 125 rounds
Hardpoints: 14 for Air Force versions (Rafale B/C), 13 for Navy version (Rafale M) with a capacity of 9,500 kg (20,900 lb) external fuel and ordnance,with provisions to carry combinations of:

• Missiles:
• Air-to-air: Magic II, MBDA MICA IR or EM, MBDA Meteor
• Air-to-ground: MBDA Apache, MBDA Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG, AASM-Hammer (SBU-38/54/64), GBU-12 Paveway II, GBU-22 Paveway III, GBU-24 Paveway III, GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II, AS-30L, Mark 82
• Air-to-surface: MBDA AM 39-Exocet anti-ship missile
• Nuclear Deterrence: ASMP-A nuclear missile
• Other: Thales Damocles targeting pod, Thales AREOS (Airborne Recce Observation System) reconnaissance pod, Thales TALIOS multi-function targeting pod in the future (F3R Standard), up to 5 drop tanks, buddy-buddy refuelling pod

Avionics

• Thales RBE2-AA AESA radar
• Thales SPECTRA Electronic Warfare system
• Thales/SAGEM-OSF Optronique Secteur Frontal infra-red search and track (IRST) system.