France received the first new F3-R-level Dassault Rafale fighter in four years

The French Dassault Rafale company has delivered the F3-R-level Rafale fighter to the military procurement agency Direction Générale de l'Armement. This is the first new aircraft for France in four years.

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The fighter jet is included in a 60-aircraft order from 2009, which was halted due to budget problems. In recent years, Dassault Aviation has been producing the Rafale for export to Greece, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.

The French defense budget for 2023 includes allocation of funds for the purchase of 42 new Dassault Rafale fighters. As we can see, the financial problems have been solved. In this case we are talking about 30 planes as part of Tranche 5 and 12 additional fighters to replace the old Rafale aircraft, which are in service with the French Air Force. They were sold to Croatia last year for $1.1 billion.

Croatia will receive the first six Rafale in 2024, with the rest to follow in 2025. They will replace Soviet MiG-21 fighters.

Meanwhile, the Direction Générale de l'Armement has begun flight tests of the Rafale in the F4 upgrade. Tests began in April 2021. F4-level aircraft are expected to be ready by 2025. The new standard involves the installation of the Talios sighting system, Thales active phased array radar and a new electronic warfare system.

The Rafale F4 is expected to provide a smoother transition to sixth generation fighters. They are being developed under the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program, but will not appear until the end of the next decade.

Source: Defense News