French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation has announced that it is ramping up the production of Rafale fighter jets. These 4th generation jet fighters have been in service since 2001.
Dassault Rafale has been in service since 2001. Image credit: Tim Felce (Airwolfhound) via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 2.0)
La Tribune reports that in 2024, Dassault Aviation plans to increase the production of its jet fighters to 3 Rafales per month. Later, the company should start producing 4 Rafales per month. The move is linked to a large pile of export orders, as well as an order placed by France itself.
Dassault hopes to reach an annual production rate of 33 Rafale fighters this year. It may not seem like that many, but the company has never reached such a number. And achieving this goal will not be easy, since many subcontractors are involved in the production of the Rafale, and not all of them can deal with such a pace with ease.
Despite such ambitious plans, Dassault faces serious delays in the production of subcontracted aircraft equipment. The company’s CEO notes that it takes subcontractors about a year to catch up with aircraft production.
The Rafale has quite an interesting history. In the late 1970s, the French Air Force and Navy were looking for a new jet fighter. France joined efforts by the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain to develop what later became the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Disagreements over the division of labour and other important questions led France to step back and develop its own fighter jet instead. Not for nothing – France was practically the only European country that had the capacity to develop and produce a fourth-generation jet fighter on its own, without the help of other countries.
In 1986, Dassault presented the Rafale prototype, which took off for its maiden flight that same year. The jet fighter was further developed and entered service in 2001.
The Dassault Rafale is a twin-engine supersonic jet fighter with a wingspan of 10.9 m and a length of 15.27 m. It is a very versatile jet fighter capable of intercepting enemy aircraft, delivering deep strikes on ground targets, and engaging ships.
With the help of the ASMP missile, the Rafale could also deliver a nuclear strike. Rafale fighter jets are currently in use by France, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia and Egypt. India and the United Arab Emirates are also waiting for them.
Ukraine has expressed its desire to become a user of the Dassault Rafale as well. It wouldn’t be a bad option, but no steps have been taken in this direction. The F-16 is probably the better jet fighter for Ukraine anyway, simply because there are almost 15 times more of them in the world.
This means that there are more countries that can offer parts, technical support and training. Ukraine is already in the process of getting F-16s so getting distracted with the Rafale probably would not make that much sense right now.
Written by Povilas M.