by Hugh Harkins (Author)
The Dassault Rafale, designed to replace a number of legacy aircraft types in French Air Force and Naval aviation service, is a 4th+/4th++ generation omnirole combat aircraft, which emerged from the French ACX (Avion de Combat Experimental) program of the early 1980's. This progressed after France withdrew from the consortium of European partner nations, which went on to develop the Eurofighter Typhoon.The Rafale design is centred on a comprehensive multi-sensor avionics suite, embracing the concept of sensor fusion to enhance overall mission effectiveness. The integral internal and external sensors and comprehensive array of precision guided weapons enable Rafale to conduct a plethora of operational missions, ranging from air defence, air to surface strike, including nuclear stand-off strike and maritime surface strike, to reconnaissance intelligence gathering.The volume covers the evolution of the Rafale concept from the early AXC studies that led to the Rafale A technology demonstrator through the succession of serial produced Rafale Standards built or planned - F1to F5. All technical and historical information regarding the aircraft, systems and weapons, have been furnished by the respective designers/developers, as has much of the graphic material, with technical and graphic input from other entities, such as the French D l gu G n ral pour l'armament and respective operators. Certain segments of updated text, where pertinent, are taken from the volumes 'Dassault Rafale, the Gallic Squall' (Harkins, 2004) and 'Eurofighter Typhoon, Storm over Europe' (Harkins, 2013).