What is Dassault Rafale ?

Versatility, that is the capability, with the same system, to perform different missions,

Rafale features a unique “Man-Machine Interface” (MMI) which integrates Hands on Throttle and Stick ( HOTAS ) to Touch Screens allowing the pilot an unhindered performance in adverse conditions as systems resources are managed via left and right touch screens. Head-Up display and Head-Level display are utilized for Short-Term and Medium/Long-Term Engagements respectively. This gives the Rafale, an “Omnirole” capability with a wide field of view beefing up its overall capabilities.

Interoperability, or the ability to fight in coalition with the allies, using common procedures and standards agreements, and collaborating and communicating in real-time with other systems,

Rafale Air-Intakes is a tradeoff between Side Intakes and Ventral Air takes for better Attack Capabilities. F-22 “Raptor” features Side Intakes while Eurofighter Typhoon features Ventral Air takes. Ventral Intakes allow better flow of air during high Angles of Attack, increasing the drag as a result. Rafale’s trade-off between Side and Ventral Air takes allows a beefed up fuselage and better load carrying capacity giving it a traditional edge over other contemporaries, though at an expense of Air-to-Air Capabilities, which would have been resolved if Rafale used more powerful engines.

Rafale’s SPECTRA Electronic Warfare Suite possesses a feature called “Active Cancellation”, which works by detecting a radar signal and generating a radiation field with the same amplitude and frequency but the opposite phase.

Flexibility, which can be illustrated by the ability to conduct several different missions in the course of the same sortie (“Omnirole“ capability).

Rafale has been designed with Low Observable ( LO ) Features which has been estimated between 0.05 to 0.1-meter square Radar Cross Section which is equal to that of a “Sparrow”. Rafale combines up Electronic Warfare means, Terrain Following System, Active Cancellation and design features to achieve the considerable amount of stealth required for a 4.5 Generation Aircraft. Rafale extensively utilizes composite materials and Radar Absorbent Material along with suppression of “Radar” waves by Spikes to prevent any considerable amount of detection.

With this capability, it is possible to switch instantly on the demand of a political decision maker, from a coercion mission (“strike force”) to a preventive mission (a dissuasive low-altitude, high-speed “show of force”), or even to cancel a mission until the last second (reversibility),

Indian Air Force is currently having around 1400 Aircraft, leaving Sukhoi 30mki, Mirage 2000 and Mig 29 behind, All of them are old and outdated, so the UPA government at 2004 decided to retire some of them, and decided to buy more Mirage 2000 fighter jets from Dassault (due to the outstanding contribution of Mirage 2000 in 1999 Kargil War).

Rafale features an advanced quadruple redundant Fly-By-Wire Flight Control System controlled by one Analogue Channel and three Digital Channels giving maximum reliability over other platforms. Rafale’s digital FCS has not encountered a single accident in over one million flight hours giving Rafale, a stupendous reliability and maximum preciseness.

Survivability, that is the capability to survive in a dense threat environment thanks to stealthiness and / or to advanced electronic warfare systems.

This gives Rafale, a considerable amount of stealth characteristics as it can be used to suppress radar signals in addition to an LPI (Low Probability of Intercept) Radar, Rafale possess, which denies any considerable tracing of Rafale’s radio waves and any subsequent tracking and jamming.

Rafale’s Optronique Secteur Frontal consists of two sensors with an Infra-Red Detector on the left, used as FLIR which can detect air targets up to 100 kilometers, and a TV/IR Sensor featuring a laser rangefinder which can identify a target up to 40 kilometers. This gives Rafale an edge in Passive Electro-Optical Detection System over Stealth Aircraft also like during ATLC 2009 when French Rafales scored an air-to-air kill in Within Visual Range against F-22, thanks to its Optronique Secteur Frontal.

The government gave the order to the french company Dassault aviation for the Mirage 2000, but dassault said that they have stopped the mass production of mirage 2000, and they told IAF to buy upgraded version of mirage 2000, the RAFALE.

The “Omnirole” Rafale combines all these advantages: it is relevant against both traditional and asymmetrical threats, it addresses the emerging needs of the armed forces in a changing geopolitical context, and it remains at the forefront of technical innovation.

The “Omnirole” Rafale combines all these advantages: it is relevant against both traditional and asymmetrical threats, it addresses the emerging needs of the armed forces in a changing geopolitical context, and it remains at the forefront of technical innovation.

Rafale features a net-centric capability due to its open architecture and data fusion software which allows the Rafale to enter into the Battlespace with a highly secure data link allowing the Rafale to exchange information with other aerial and ground assets through “Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver” in real time, building up a coherent mode of compatibility among other assets deployed in the combat multiplying the effectiveness.

Rafale’s beefed up airframe and intakes, allow it to carry some 2.5 times its own empty weight, carrying a mix of different weapon system for both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground Roles. For Air-to-Air, it can carry METEOR, MICA, MAGIC-II Missiles while for Air-to-Ground Role it can carry APACHE, Storm Shadow and Hammer Missiles.

Thanks to its versatility, its adaptability and its ability to meet all air mission requirements, the Rafale is the “poster child” transformational fighter which provides a way forward to air forces confronted to the requirement of doing “more” with “less”, in an ever-changing strategic and economic environment.

It can also be armed for the anti-shipping role with Exocet Block 2 Anti-Ship Missile and for Nuclear Deterrence with an ASMP-A nuclear missile. Rafale being a tradeoff in air-to-air capabilities with better payload capability, allows it to perform multiple jobs single-handedly effectively making it “Omnirole”.

Rafale’s SPECTRA Electronic Warfare Suite possesses a feature called “Active Cancellation”, which works by detecting a radar signal and generating a radiation field with the same amplitude and frequency but the opposite phas

Then Indian Air Force Decided to test out the competitors of rafale too, so they released tender. after some time Russia offered their MIG-35, Sweden offered their JAS39 Gripen, USA offered F-16 viper and F18 super hornet, France offered Rafale, And (Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain) Offered Eurofighter Typhoon.They all were tested on certain parameters, after all The french Rafale was selected.

Rafale features a Fighter Sphere Tablet, which allows the pilot to efficiently collect all the information on an Electronic Media device rather than on a paper. The Fighter Sphere Tablet consists of a manual, navigation maps, performance calculations software and more giving the pilot a more stress-free and redundant error-free flight period.

Of a moderate size, yet extremely powerful, superbly agile and very discrete, the latest type of combat aircraft from Dassault.

This gives Rafale, a considerable amount of stealth characteristics as it can be used to suppress radar signals in addition to an LPI (Low Probability of Intercept) Radar, Rafale possess, which denies any considerable tracing of Rafale’s radio waves and any subsequent tracking and jamming.