Rafale 2018 Thread: Europe's best Eurocanard

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Thanks for explaining what "delivery rates" and "deliveries" mean.

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You're welcome.

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TomcatViP wrote: "This AI spending frenzy smells very bad, I will tell you. Let's finger cross for the best outcome."

My understanding is that the AI injection that Rafale will receive is based (at least in part) on the 'Guidance in Uncertain Shooting Domains’ programme that Probayes and MBDA conducted under the Materials and Components for Missiles Innovation and Technology Partnership (MCM ITP).

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My understanding is that the AI injection that Rafale will receive is based (at least in part) on the 'Guidance in Uncertain Shooting Domains’ programme that Probayes and MBDA conducted under the Materials and Components for Missiles Innovation and Technology Partnership (MCM ITP).

Yep. Also from Neuron/FCAS self determination of optimal route/positioning to engage target, swarm smart bombs guidance (smart glider) etc.

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Beautiful! Nice to see a non standard camouflage scheme on a western fighter.

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Regarding the Rafale production and how it currently works, here is a coverage made by a french journalist at Mérignac final assembly line, it take two weeks to assemble an entire Rafale (engine, avionic, cockpit, radar etc...) and then about 6 month of testing, 3 month to test all systems on the ground even before start the engines.

(in french)

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And mach 1.7 with three external tanks... (ok the small ones)

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It's top speed is mach 1.8 and it is medium altitude plane. highly doubtful that it can pass even mach 1 with tanks for any amount of time.

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yes it largely can. the 1250 L tanks are made to go supersonic.

also able to supercruise in 'fox' loadout (centerline 1250 L) and MICAs, although I'm not sure at what mach.

it is medium altitude plane

lol.

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It's top speed is mach 1.8 and it is medium altitude plane. highly doubtful that it can pass even mach 1 with tanks for any amount of time.

I do not think the pilot who is telling the rear sitting journo's we're at Mach 1.7 atm really cares aout your doubts. MAch 1.8 is a top operational speed, true. But why?

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Mach 1.8 is the top speed not by thrust/drag ratio but a software limit to protect the airframe from overspeeding some parts like the windshield or to avoid the sonic shockwaves inside the inlet ducts hitting the compressors of the engines (which may stall them). The reserve power is way sufficient to reach higher speeds but at the risk of damaging parts of the aircraft, or to sustain the "under limit speeds" with more drag than clean airframe only

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yes it largely can. the 1250 L tanks are made to go supersonic.

It is documented (Rafale over Afghanistan, Cpt Romain) that "non supersonic" tanks are cleared for mach 1.3

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La mission aura duré 10 heures, avec plusieurs ravitaillements en vol. Les cinq Rafale ont rejoint quatre Mirage 2000 et un AWACS au-dessus de la Corse pour ensuite prendre la direction de la Syrie.

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Mission lasted 10hr with numerous aerial refueling. The 5 Rafale were joined by 4 M2K and one AWAC above Corsica before heading to Syria

[...]
"Les risques, au moment où nous sommes partis, existaient. Nous ne connaissions pas les règles d'engagement russes. On s'était préparé en prenant en compte cette option, de manière à nous préserver", rapporte le colonel.

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There was some risks at the time we launched for Syria. We didn't know what were the Russian's rules of engagement. We were ready to take care of our own safety

(A fr Rafale pilot)

Source:
France Info.fr

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do not think the pilot who is telling the rear sitting journo's we're at Mach 1.7 atm really cares aout your doubts. MAch 1.8 is a top operational speed, true. But why?

Never forget that the RAFALE A demonstrator has reached Mach 2 very early in its flight tests. Current rafales are limited to mach 1,8 due to the air intake design (S -duct) to incorporate RCS reduction.

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Even factoring intake design into the overall picture I'd imagine the aircraft is limited by the flight software versus being physically incapable of going past Mach 1.8.

Why are they bothering having Mirage 2000s escort Rafales? At this point I don't think the Mirage 2000 has any air-to-air capabilities that the Rafale lacks.

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Because -5s are still very serious players when it comes to air superiority. Their unit is dedicated to do this job, so why not task them? Also, more Rafale were maybe not immediatly available.

And I can't resist to my bash guilty pleasure.. you'll notice how the Typhoons were relegated to air superiority role. It's (un)surprisingly unable to perform any long range cruise misisle strike and will remain so.

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Because Rafales while they can self escort , could have had to abort their mission in doing so , as opposed to having a dedicated escort tasked to protect the various supporting assets and strike package to prevent a mission kill in case of opposition. M2000-5 is still very much potent in that role, and still the working horse of most units dedicated to that role , until they switched to Rafale that is .
So all in all , no reason to have an all Rafale setup, when other means are readily available to fulfill the task. Incidentally the Rafale is in high demand in other actions, so availability might have been an issue too.

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We don't have many details about the operation but i think it's likely that two M2K stayed near the AWAC (to protect him) and the 2 others stayed behind the Rafales, all these planes share the data of the AWAC and the infos acquired passively (or with LPI) by the Rafales via link 16. If the shi* hit the fan the M2k can engage passively an aerial menace and the Rafales can stay silent too and continue their strike mission. That's just my guess.

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What a dumb thing to say about Typhoon.