When deemed unfit for sale, Rafale multirole fighter (fighter/bomber) built by Dassault Aviation, is now enjoying a string of commercial successes, as evidenced by India’s agreement in principle on Thursday to purchase 26 “naval” versions of the French defense aircraft industry’s flagship aircraft, AFP reported.

Born from the desire to find a replacement for the Mirage 2000 and Tornado (British, Italian and German), the Rafale A made its first flight on July 4, 1986 in Istra (Bouches du Rhône).

It has been in use by the French Navy since 2004 and the French Air Force since 2006, replacing seven types of fighters of previous generations.

Its use in combat since 2007 in Afghanistan, then in Libya in 2011, in the Sahel and the Levant, sometimes after long raids from France, has proven its effectiveness.

At the same time, however, the Dassault Aviation fighter has not been successful in the export market, losing consecutive tenders in South Korea, the Netherlands, Singapore, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil.

Rafale is sold more to partner countries than to the French military

The result of both French diplomatic activity and the desire of some countries not to depend exclusively on the United States for their defense equipment, it was only in 2015 that the Rafale recorded its first success outside France, in Egypt (24 aircraft), Qatar (36) and then India next year (36).

In 2021, the number of aircraft sold will be extremely high, with 18 aircraft sold to Greece (including 12 used), another 30 to Egypt and 12 used to Croatia.

That year also saw the addition of 80 aircraft for the United Arab Emirates, the largest export order for the aircraft.

At the beginning of 2022, Indonesia, in turn, ordered 42 aircraft.

Overall, the Rafale, designed to support France’s strategic air navigation autonomy, has been sold more to partner countries than to the French military: of the 453 new aircraft ordered to date (the 26 mentioned by India on Thursday are yet to be confirmed), 261 have been ordered by seven foreign customers. and 192 – France.

Despite the fact that the Rafale lost tenders in Switzerland and Finland to the American F-35, the French company Dassault Aviation expects to realize a number of prospects in the near future.

The only non-US military aircraft authorized to operate on US aircraft carriers

Designed as a triangular wing with a close duck tail (ailerons at the front of the aircraft), the Rafale is considered “modest” with reduced radar visibility due to the use of composite materials.

It can fly at Mach 1.8 (2,200 km/h) and take off from short runways with a high-altitude flight range of 1,850 km.

It is intended for the Air Force and Navy and can operate from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. It is also the only non-US military aircraft authorized to operate on US aircraft carriers.

Jointly built by Dassault Aviation, which controls 60% of the plane’s construction, electronics maker Thales (22%) and engine maker Safran (18%), which supplies the M-88 engine, the Rafale is set to become France’s fighter jet. after 2040.

Superseded by the European fighter jet (SCAF) project?

The European fighter jet (SCAF) project, stalled for more than a year, was the subject of an agreement between builders Dassault and Airbus late last year.

In late August 2021, the three countries in question, France, Germany and Spain, signed an agreement that called for detailed studies worth €3.6 billion to begin construction of the aircraft in 2025.

But the contracts were not signed due to the lack of a task-sharing agreement between French manufacturer Dassault Aviation and its main partner Airbus.

The new aircraft will replace the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale used by the German and French air forces, respectively.

The programme, which involves France, Germany and Spain, with Belgium as an observer from the end of June, is expected to conclude with the first demonstration in 2028-2029.