France unveils new Rafale fighter jet variant, first buyer is India’s…; Is new French combat plane powerful than IAF’s F-3 variant?

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French defence manufacturer Dassault Aviation has introduced the Rafale F4 fighter jet, an upgraded variant of the Rafale F3R fighter jets operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

IAF operates a fleet of Dassault Rafale F3R fighter jets. (File)

France has unveiled a new and advanced variant of the Rafale fighter jet, withe the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — an ally of India– reportedly being the first buyer of the new French combat aircraft. As per a statement by Dassault Aviation, the French defence manufacturer who makes the Rafale fighters, the Rafale F4 variant will soon undergo its first flight test at the company’s flight test center, and the delivery of the new aircraft to UAE is expected to begin by 2026.

In December 2021, the UAE had inked a deal with the French defense company to acquire 80 Rafale fighter jets, including the new F4 variant, which was recently showcased at the Istres Air Base on January 29. UAE will become the second country, and the first foreign nation to operate a fleet of Rafale F4 jets, after the French Air Force.

Rafale F4 vs IAF’s Rafale F3

The Indian Air Force (IAF) operates a fleet of Rafale F3R fighter jets, that were inducted into its fleet in July 2020, when the first batch of five Rafale jets joined IAF’s No.17 Squadron, ‘Golden Arrows’.

Dassault Aviation has incorporated as many as 13 upgrades in the Rafale F3R fighter jets, according to IAF’s requirements, making it more advanced than the original F3 variant.

The Rafale F3R is equipped with the Armament Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM) highly-agile modular munition, all-weather smart air-to-surface weaponry by Safran Electronics, which is capable of striking targets at a distance of over 70 kilometers. Additionally, the IAF’s Rafale jets air-to-air munitions comprise of MBDA’s ramjet-powered Meteor Long-Range Beyond Visual Range Air-to-air Missile (BVRAAM) and MICA Close Combat Missile.

The IAF had also opted for the AASM Hammer bomb guidance and glide kits by Safran Electronics & Defence and Israeli SPICE-guided munitions.

Notably, the IAF had opted for the ‘Hammer’ AASM when it was embroiled in a standoff with China, as the munition can be deployed to destroy targets buried in the mountainous terrain of Eastern Ladakh.

How powerful is Rafale F4?

Dassault Rafale F4 has several upgrades over the  IAF’s Rafale F3R, including upgraded Thales software-defined radio, satellite communications, and improved RBE2 AESA radar, Talios targeting pod, front sector optronics system, and helmet-mounted display capabilities.

The F4 variant’s Front Sector Optronics will be equipped with a new IRST  to supplement its existing sensor suite, providing improved day/night passive target detection and identification capabilities against low signature aircraft via the infrared spectrum.

The RBE2 AESA radar has new Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Ground Mobile Target Indication and Tracking (GMTI/T) modes, enhancing the Rafale F4’s capability to produce high-resolution radar imagery at long ranges and detect and track ground targets in every weather condition.

Additionally, the new Rafale variant also boasts a Thales Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display to accelerate the designation and acquisition of targets, and new, larger side cockpit displays offer improved resolution, and has a new digital jammer for the SPECTRA self-defense / electronic warfare suite.

On the combat front, the F4 is armed with MBDA’s MICA NG (Next-Generation) air-to-air missile and the 1,000-kilogram variant of Safran’s AASM “Hammer” precision-guided munition, that enhances its strike capability, withe aircraft being capable of carrying three of these 1000 kg bombs.

According to Dassault, the Rafale F4 is designed to be operationally relevant for at least the next 10 to 15 years, and is designed to be backward compatible with the F3, meaning the IAF can upgrade its existing F3 fleet to the F4 standard with ease.

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