As the Aéronautique Navale marks the centenary of Flottille 11F, it is striding ahead with the latest standard of Dassault Rafale — the F3-R variant, which has now achieved initial operational capability, and is seen as a ‘game-changer’ for France’s carrier air power.
ONE OF THE Aéronautique Navale’s (French Naval Aviation’s) most famous squadrons, Flottille 11F, not only marked its centenary last year, but is also steaming ahead thanks to the commissioning of the Rafale F3-R, the latest variant of the naval Dassault fighter. Contrary to what the designation may suggest, this is far more than simply a software evolution — it’s a genuine step-change with new operational capabilities and a revised cockpit.
The Direction générale de l’armement (DGA, defense procurement agency) said in the media release issued to herald the military qualification of this variant on October 31, 2018, ‘The Rafale F3-R has new capabilities that can change the game in the field of combat aviation’. It means the Rafale is able to wield the ‘big stick’ of the MBDA Meteor beyond-visualrange air-to-air missile combined with the RBE2 active electronically scanned array radar. The French Navy says Meteor will allow the engagement…
