The Dassault Rafale is one of the French multi-role fighter jets that have recently flooded the defense circle across the globe.
Having an excellent canard delta wing shape, it marks itself with agility and sharpness in carrying out different missions from air superiority to ground support.
The Rafale is a 4.5-generation aircraft combining advanced avionics with improved maneuverability.
Having an inherently unstable design, the aircraft requires constant digital fly-by-wire control, which in turn grants it exceptional agility.
The aircraft can handle anything from -3.6 to 9G while, in emergencies, it can push to 11G.
Although not a stealth fighter, the Rafale does contain many design features to reduce its radar cross-section and infrared signature.
The tail fin is greatly minimized, and the intakes for the engines are located beneath the wing.
Moreover, by using composite materials and serrations in the trailing edges of the wings and canards, it still achieves a low radar profile.
Powered by two Snecma M88 engines in each of the aircraft, the Rafale is propelled by 11,000 dry pounds of force and 17,000 with afterburners.
Supercruise, too, is another feature embedded in the M88 engines which would allow for an interception at supersonic speeds without the fuel-intensive afterburners.
The Rafale succeeded at the international level in exportation, and currently, it has been exported to Qatar, India, Greece, Croatia, and Egypt.
Its future operators are Indonesia, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Bangladesh, Colombia, Iraq, Malaysia, and Peru are also said to be on the lookout for a spot on its shopping list.
With all these in perspective, Dassault’s Rafale continues to be a world-class asset for nations around the globe.
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