In January 2019, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces notified Dassault Aviation of the contract for the development and integration of the Rafale F4 standard, which will allow this aircraft to enter the era of collaborative combat, thus foreshadowing what will be the air combat of the future [SCAF].
This new standard provides for many improvements. Thus, the Rafale will benefit, thanks to Thales and ATOS, from increased connectivity for network operations, with the integration of the CONTACT radio, a secure “intelligent” communication server and a satellite transmission solution [SATCOM ] via Syracuse IV. And a new generation of multi-level gateway [E-SNA for Extension of the Navigation and Armament System] will allow secure two-way transfer between networks of heterogeneous levels of security and confidentiality.
In addition, Thales will also supply the "SCORPION" helmet sight and will develop an artificial intelligence algorithm to improve the capabilities of the RECO NG nacelle, the latter having to be able to recognize directly the elements likely to be of interest to the crew. from the plane. The RBE2-AESA active antenna radar will have new functionalities [in particular with regard to the air-ground mode] while the frontal sector optronics [OSF] and the RAfale's Fire Pipe Protection and Avoidance System [ SPECTRA] will benefit from the latest technological developments. The same goes for the M-88 engines, supplied by Safran.
On the armament side, the Rafale F4 will have an increased carrying capacity, which will allow it to deploy two additional MICA NG missiles and / or guided bombs of 1000 kg.
However, the development of this new standard has just passed a first important milestone with a first flight test campaign, carried out between April 26 and 29, in Istres, under the aegis of the General Directorate of Armaments [ DGA].
"Eight complex missions representing 50 aircraft sorties were carried out by test crews from the DGA, the French Navy, the Air and Space Army and Dassault Aviation", has in fact indicated the General Directorate of Armaments, May 20. These "made it possible to insert two Rafale in the current state of development of the F4-1 standard within a large-scale air force, with up to 8 aircraft in the combat zone for the tactical phases, as well as in-flight refueling slots, ”she added.
This readiness for use [RAU] review campaign thus made it possible to test, in a “realistic technical-operational framework”, the new collaborative combat functionalities of the Rafale, including “the precise location of other aircraft by passive means within a patrol ”, as well as the SCORPION helmet sight.
These tests involved 8 Rafale [including 2 Rafale Marine], 2 Mirage 2000 and 2 Alphajet. And they called on "significant ground resources from the DGA Flight Tests" [specific air test control, listening rooms and tracking systems, etc.]. "Contributors from Dassault Aviation, Thales and MBDA were also present in order to monitor the performance of test flights in real time, to provide their expertise and to benefit directly from the feedback of the crews, rich in lessons to guide developments in course ”, specified the DGA.
A second test campaign is already scheduled. This time, it will focus on evaluating the capabilities of the Rafale F4-1 in the field of Air-Surface missions.
