Already At the beginning of October 2024, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that the order for thethat the order for the Rafale F5 version – the latest multi-role combat aircraft – had been placed. Now General Jérôme Bellanger, Chief of Staff of the Aerospace Forces, has announced further details of the program in an interview with Le Figaro.
According to this, the aerospace forces are to be completely converted to the Dassault manufactured Rafale version – the fleet will then comprise 185 aircraft. A new maintenance concept should enable each jet to complete more than 300 flight hours per year without compromising on safety standards.
The highlight of the armament is the fourth-generation nuclear missile, the Air-Sol Nucléaire de 4ème Génération (ASN4G). This missile, developed by MBDA France reaches hypersonic speeds thanks to a scramjet and is set to become a central element of the French nuclear deterrence strategy. With a range of well over 1,000 kilometers, deployment of the weapon is planned for 2035.
The RJ10 (where “RJ” stands for Ramjet) is a highly agile anti-radar missile designed to secure the ASN4G’s operational area. The RJ10 is also being developed by MBDA as part of the Franco-British FMAN/FMC program – a program that aims to replace the Exocet anti-ship missile and the SCALP-EG cruise missile with modern stand-off weapons.
Another key element is offensive means of electromagnetic warfare. This involves the early detection and identification of enemy ground-to-air defense systems as well as their targeted jamming.
Incidentally, the new Rafale F5 is to be accompanied by a combat drone based on Dassault Aviation’s nEUROn platform. Equipped with stealth capabilities, this drone will act as a front-line sensor – accepting the possibility of being lost in action. Despite being fully integrated into the Rafale F5, it retains its autonomous control technology and is equipped with an internal weapons bay.
The French Aerospace Forces have permanent responsibility for nuclear deterrence. Nuclear attacks against enemy ground-to-air and air-to-air defense systems are practiced four times a year, with around 50 aircraft taking part in each exercise.
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