Dassault Rafale.

 

Image by Dassault Aviation

• About aircraft :- In a military view, Dassault Rafale meaning can be given by its characteristics like gust of wind with burst of fire. Dassault Rafale is multirole fighter aircraft with French twin engine and canard Delta wing which is built and designed by Dassault Aviation. A wide range of weapons are affixed with Rafale. Air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions are intended role which are to be performed by Rafale. Dassault refers Rafale as omnirole aircraft due its performance.

• Overview of Rafale design :- To achieve very high level of agility, Rafale was designed same as that of modern jet fighter. To maximize manoeuvrability of Rafale, Dassault decide to merge delta wing and active close-coupled canard. To artificially enforce and maintain stability of aircraft, Rafale use digital fly-by-wire flight controls since it is aerodynamically unstable.

• Overview of Rafale's engine :- Two snecma M88 engines are fitted to Rafale. Up to 50 kilonewtons (11,000 pounds-force) of dry thrust and 75 kN (17,000 lbf) with afterburners can be produce by each engine of Rafale. A non-polluting combustion chamber, single-crystal turbine blades, powder metallurgy disks, technology to reduce radar and infrared signatures are advance features of Rafale's engines. With carrying four missiles and one drop tank, Snecma M88 engines makes Rafale possible to supercruise.

• Some avionics equipment of Rafale :- It is equipped with Thales RBE2-AA AESA radar, Thales SPECTRA Electronic Warfare system, and Thales/SAGEM-OSF Optronique Secteur Frontal infra-red search and track (IRST) system.

• Some general characteristics of Rafale :- 

1. Its length is 15.27 meters (50 ft 1 in). 
2. Its wingspan is 10.90 meters (35 ft 9 in). 
3. Its height is 5.34 meters (17 ft 6 in). 
4. Its wing area is 45.7 meter square (492 sq ft). 
5. Its gross weight is 15000 kilograms (33069 lb). 
6. Its max takeoff weight is 24500 kg (54013 lb).

• Performance view of Rafale :- 

1. Its maximum speed is 2223 km/h at high altitude where as 1390 km/h at low altitude. 
2. Its service ceiling is 15835 meters (51952 ft). 
3. Its rate of climb is 304.8 m/s (60000 ft/min). 
4. Its wing loading is 328 kg/m².

• Some highlights of Rafale :- 

1. It is a multirole fighter aircraft. 
2. It is originated from France. 
3. It is manufactured by Dassault Aviation. 
4. It is used by french air force, french navy, egyptian air force, qatar air force and Indian Air Force. 
5. It have some missiles like MBDA MICA IR, GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II, MBDA AM 39-Exocet anti-ship missile, ASMP-A nuclear missile.