Civil And Military Aircraft / Delivering customer satisfaction
Serving armed forcesServing armed forces
Our military aircraft deliver what’s needed to meet current and future strategic challenges. In addition to France, seven other countries have placed their trust in the Rafale fighter. As of the end of 2022, the total number of confirmed orders for Rafales stood at 417, including 225 for export, and 253 had been delivered.
Combat-proven performance
The Rafale has now logged a total of 405,000 flight-hours (including 63,500 operational hours flown by French pilots since 2007), making it one of the world’s most seasoned fighter jets.
The Rafale has demonstrated its outstanding versatility in some of the most challenging operational environments. It can handle a variety of missions that previously required seven different types of aircraft.
The Rafale is one of the key components of France’s nuclear deterrence.
As of the end of 2022, France had ordered a total of 192 Rafales, including 12 aircraft to compensate for those sold to Greece; out of these, 153 have already been delivered. A further order (to be announced in 2023) for 30 more fighters is planned as part of the 2019-2025 military spending bill, to which will be added 12 further Rafales to offset those sold to Croatia.
Rafale F3-R in service
The Rafale has been designed to be able to incorporate new features throughout its service life based on operational feedback. The F3-R standard entered operational capability on schedule in December 2019. It completed its first combat mission in September 2020. The standard features the Meteor air-to-air missile, the Talios laser designation pod and the latest version of the AASM smart weapon system.
Rafale F4 under development
Launched in December 2018, the F4 standard boasts connectivity features that will enhance networked combat effectiveness and pave the way for the Future Air Combat System (FACS). This standard will also include upgrades in terms of the radar and OSF search & track systems, helmet-mounted display, along with Mica NG air-to-air and 1,000-kg AASM smart weapon systems.
The F5 standard is currently under development.