Fox Three n°10.pdf - Dassault Aviation

D a s s a u l t A v i a t i o n • S n e c m a • T h a l e sRAFALEINTERNATIONALFOXTHREED A S S A U L T A V I A T I O N - S N E C M A - T H A L E S N°10OMNIROLEPEMA 2b - Photo F. Robineau - Dassault AviationRAFALEINTERNATIONALRafale carries out different complex combat assignments simultaneously. This makes itdifferent from so-called “multirole” or “swing-role” aircraft. Higher systems integration, advanceddata fusion, and inherent low observability all make Rafale the first true omnirole fighter.Able to fight how you want, when you want, where you want. Rafale. The OMNIROLE fighter.

EditorialIn the 10th issue of FOX THREE,the Rafale Team is proud to report on theFrench Air Force first operational Rafalesquadron at Saint-Dizier Air Base, on thefinal evaluation of the Standard F2 and onthe first flight of a Standard F3 Rafale.We will conclude with a thrilling look atFlottille 12F’s international Air DefenceWeek, at Landivisiau Naval Air Station.Enjoy the reading!The “FOX THREE” TeamFIRST FRENCH AIR FORCE RAFALESQUADRON OPERATIONALSummaryp.3/5Saint Dizier Air Basep.9/11Final evaluationp.12/15Landivisiau NavalAir StationEscadron de Chasse 1/7“Provence”, the first FrenchAir Force squadron to operatethe Dassault Aviation Rafaleomnirole fighter, attained fulloperational capability at Saint-Dizier Air Base on 27 June2006, during a ceremonyattended by French PrimeMinister Dominique de Villepin,Defence Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie and other senior governmentand Air Force officials.This largely symbolicevent took place the day aftertwo of the squadron’s aircrafthandled their first QuickReaction Alert air-defence missionfrom Mont-de-Marsan airbase, in southern France, wherethey had deployed.Copyright: SIRPA AIR, Dassault Aviation - G. de Bucy, A. Paringaux, DGA/CEV/HP. GrolleauFOXTHREE 3

FIRST FRENCH AIR FORCE RAFALESQUADRON OPERATIONALEscadron de Chasse 1/7“Provence” operated the Jaguarfrom Saint-Dizier in the groundattackrole until June 2005when it started its conversionprocess. By the end of 2006,it will be equipped with a totalof 20 Standard F2 Rafales. Asecond Rafale squadron, thistime tasked with the nucleardeterrence / strike role, willstand up at Saint-Dizier in 2008with a further 20 aircraft,bringing the Air Wing there tofull complement. It has nowbeen announced that the thirdRafale squadron will form atMont-de-Marsan. In all, theFrench Air Force will receive234 Rafales, split betweenRafale B two-seat and Rafale Csingle-seat versions. To date,120 Rafales have been orderedfor both services, and 35 havebeen delivered to both the AirForce and the Navy. The AirForce order covers a total of82 aircraft (44 single-seatersand 38 two-seaters) with anadditional 38 Rafale Ms – allsingle-seaters - for the Navy.Under current plans, productionis to continue until 2023.In the meantime, the FrenchNavy has taken delivery of itsfirst Standard F2 Rafale, witha second one to leave theDassault production line beforethe end of the year. Anotherfourteen will enter service in2007 / 2008. They will bolsterthe first batch of ten StandardF1 Rafale M fighters that specialisein air-to-air operationswith Flottille 12F, the first FrenchNavy Rafale unit which becamefully operational at LandivisiauNaval Air Station in June 2004.Standard F2 aircraft areequipped with an improvedradar offering air-to-surfacemodes, with a Link 16 datalinkfor network-centric operationswith other French and foreignassets, with infrared-guidedMica IR and radar-guided MicaEM air-to-air missiles, and withScalp long-range cruise missilesas well as AASM fire-andforgetmodular precisionweapons. Eventually, the FrenchNavy will operate 60 RafaleM single-seaters.4 FOXTHREEFOXTHREE 5

NEW MILESTONES FOR THE RAFALE TRIALSWith the final evaluation of the Standard F2 by the French Flight TestCentre, the first flight of the Standard F3 variant from the DassaultAviation premises and the recent firing of the first guided AASM missile,the Rafale test programme is moving forward at unprecedented rate.Rigorous evaluationFrom mid-May to early June2006, the French Flight TestCentre successfully conductedthe final evaluation of theStandard F2 Rafale. Prior tothe qualification of the StandardF2 and its official acceptanceby the Defence ProcurementAgency, French Air Force andFrench Navy test pilots andengineers flew the variant ina demanding environment tomake sure that it could enterservice without any restrictions.Two aircraft were involved ina series of complex sorties,simulating various mission profiles:deep strikes with Scalpcruise missiles, close air supportattacks with AASM precisionweapons, battlefield air interdictionbombings (also withAASMs), and air-to-air engagementswith radar and infraredguidedMica missiles. Severeelectronic warfare environmentswere replicated, andthe Rafales were pitted againsta wide range of opponents:Mirage 2000-5F fighters,Crotale surface-to-air missilesand the threat generators /simulators of the multinationalelectronic warfare trainingrange, in Eastern France. TheFrench AWACS fleet activelyparticipated in the trial campaign,and the Rafale aircrewsroutinely utilised their Link 16datalink to exchange data withboth the AWACS and theirwingmen.Standard F3In May 2006, two-seater B302,the second production Rafale,was rolled out from the DassaultAviation facility, at Istres, aftera short conversion programmethat brought it to full StandardF3 configuration. Under currentplans, Standard F3 Rafaleswill enter service with the FrenchAir Force and the French Navyin 2008. They will offerexpanded combat capabilitiesthanks to the introductionof the Exocet anti-ship missile,of the ASMP-A nuclear missile,of the Pod Reco NG reconnaissancepod and of variousimprovements to the ThalesRBE electronic-scanning radarand to the Thales Spectra selfdefencesuite.Flight testing of the improvedstandard started in May 2006,and initially focused on theradar / digital terrain followingmodes. By October 2006, thein-flight testing of the new PodReco NG will have begun, andtrials with Exocet missiles willfollow soon afterwards. FourRafales, B301, B302, C101and M02, will take part in theStandard F3 development programme,with 400 test sortiesto be logged between May2006 and early 2008.6 FOXTHREEFOXTHREE 7

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AASMThe Rafale programme reacheda significant milestone onWednesday 26 July 2006 whensingle-seat Rafale C101 firedan AASM stand-off weaponoff the French Missile TestCentre, in the South-West ofFrance. The revolutionaryAASM (Armement Air-SolModulaire, or Modular Air-to-Surface Armament) is a lowcost,all-weather, fire-and-forgetweapon optimised for highaccuracyattacks at long ranges.Designed and produced bySagem, the AASM can beutilised for an extremely largerange of strike missions. Thanksto its modular architecture, itoffers unmatched destructivecapabilities against soft andhard targets. Depending onthe tactical situation, therequired precision to avoidcollateral damage, and theimportance of the target, theAir Force and Naval commanderscan choose betweentwo types of state-of-the-artguidance kits:- a combined Inertial MeasuringUnit / GPS receiver navigationsystem for all-weather attackswith a 10 m class accuracy- a combined Infrared Imagerseeker / Inertial MeasuringUnit / GPS receiver for dayand night attacks with metricprecision.For long distance engagements,the AASM is equipped with abolt-on tail unit / range extensionkit which comprises a solidrocket motor and flip-out wings.Range exceeds 50 km for ahigh-altitude release, or 15 kmfor a low-level firing. Even moresignificant is the capability toengage targets at high off-boresightangles: with the AASM,the Rafale does not have tooverfly the target to carry outits attack with deadly accuracy,and it can safely remainout of reach.Test firingThe firing was completed off theFrench Atlantic Coast and theoverall trial was under theresponsibility of the Centred'Essais en Vol, the FrenchFlight Test Centre of theDélégation Générale deL'Armement, the DefenceProcurement Agency. Theweapon was of the INU / GPSvariant that offers 10 m-classprecision. CommandantSylvain Guiraud, a test pilotfrom the French Air ForceEvaluation Centre, flew the26 July sortie and carried outthe firing. “We wanted to testthe AASM in an operationalenvironment, with representativedelivery profiles thatwill be used by French AirForce and French Navy frontlineRafale squadrons, he said.Our main goal was to test afully functioning instrumentedround to make sure that thearmament and the aircraftcould share targeting data ina satisfactory way.”Rafale C101 took off fromCazaux Air Base at 11 h 00local. “The AASM was firedat low-level over the sea, at1500 feet and 450 knots inlevel flight, explained SylvainGuiraud. The weapon hit thetarget with chirurgical precision.Prior to the attack, thecoordinates of the target hadbeen transferred to the Rafalevia the Link 16 datalink. I usedthe Rafale’s Front SectorOptronics system to watch theimpact in real time. In a combatscenario, the FSO could beused for battle damage assessment.”10 FOXTHREEFOXTHREE 11

INTERNATIONALAIR DEFENCE WEEKFrom 03 to 07 July 2006, Flottille 12F, the first French Navy Rafale unit, organised for thefirst time a week-long intensive air defence exercise from its Landivisiau Naval Air Stationhome-base, in Brittany, Western France. « From Landivisiau, we routinely train with theSuper Etendard strike fighters of the French Carrier Air Wing, but in order to be fullyproficient,air-defence pilots need to regularly train against other air defence assets suchas F/A-18 Hornet, F-16 Fighting Falcon, Mirage 2000 and Typhoon fighters, stressesCommander Jérôme Puech, Officer Commanding Flottille 12F.But we are rather isolated in Brittany. For instance, for a two-hour sortie, we only have20 to 25 minutes of ‘playtime’ in the TSA 43 area, in Central France, due to the distanceinvolved. It is not a very effective way to train. There are only two solutions to this problem:either travel to outside bases, or invite other squadrons here and fight in our superbtraining areas. »Encouraging resultsFor the 2006 edition of the Flottille 12F Air Defence Week,three units and a total of eight aircraft deployed to Landivisiau:- two French Air Force Mirage 2000Cs from Escadron deChasse 1/5 ‘Vendée’- four Belgian F-16 MLUs belonging to 349 Fighter Squadron- two Royal Navy Sea King ASaC Mk 7s from 849 NavalAir Squadron.Additionally, Super Etendards from Flottilles 11F and 17Ftook part in the exercise on a daily basis, while Flottille4F E-2C Hawkeyes and French Air Force E-3F AWACSwere also heavily involved.« Flottille 12F Air Defence Week seeks to familiarise aircrewswith the employment of advanced air-defence tactics,explains Jérôme Puech. We knew we could host a fairnumber of aircraft at Landivisiau. This is why we invitedquite a large number of French and foreign units: French Mirage2000s, Spanish and Swiss F/A-18s, Belgian, Italian, Dutchand Portuguese F-16s, British Typhoons and HungarianMiG-29s. We wanted to make sure that every participantwould get the best training opportunity: our goal was notto set up a bilateral squadron exchange, but to organise alarge-scale multinational exercise with complex scenarios.This year, only three units responded positively, but this isreally encouraging and we will do better next year. »With its numerous training areas, Landivisiau Naval Air Stationis perfectly positioned to accommodate such an exercise.« Our D12, D14 / D15, and D5 / D7 areas are just a fewminutes flying time away, continues Commander Puech.We can fly at supersonic speeds without any risk of damagingprivate properties with our ‘bangs’, and we can useour flares and chaffs without any restriction. Moreover,our training areas are large enough to simulate long-rangeengagements, and we can split to accurately replicate tacticswe use with our radar-guided, fire-and-forget Micamissiles. »12 FOXTHREEFOXTHREE 13

Obvious advantageDuring their stay, each pilotflew several missions everyday and, for all Mirage 2000and F-16 aircrews involved,the exercise was their firstencounter with the Rafale.Needless to say, they were allimpressed by the latest Dassaultfighter.« In a dogfight, using only ourguns and short range missiles,it is indeed very difficult for aMirage 2000 pilot to win theday against a Rafale, admitsCommandant Jean-Roch Piselli,the ‘Boss’ of EC 1/5Detachment. Considering theimposed rules of engagementduring the first phase of theexercise, our only real opportunitywas to fire first, just afterthe crossover. Even though theMirage 2000 is equipped withnotoriously effective fly-bywirecontrols, it does not offerthe same level of performancein terms of manoeuvrabilityand engine thrust andresponse. We have to selectfull afterburner as soon as thefight begins while the Rafalepilot can throttle back andeven remain in full dry, militarypower: we burn more fueland our infrared signature issignificantly higher whereashe can reaccelerate very rapidlyif needed. »Flottille 12F was declared fullyoperational in June 2004, andthe Rafale pilots now perfectlyknow how to handle their aircraftto quickly win the fight:« we always devise a ‘gameplan’ to exploit both the Rafale’sfantastic acceleration and itsoutstanding agility, explainsLieutenant-Commander PascalCassan. Against a F-16, theRafale is more powerful in thewhole flight envelope, and isconsiderably more manoeuvrablebelow 300 knots.Ideally, after the crossover, I willclimb into the sun to force himto slow down. I will constantlythreaten him by pointing theRafale’s nose in his direction.That will force him to tighten histurn even more, and his speedwill wash out very rapidly. Onthe contrary, the F-16 pilotswill do what they can to keeptheir speed and energy up. »Numerous ‘beyond visualrange’ (BVR) engagementswere simulated during theweek, and the Rafale provedas deadly in the long-rangearena as in a dogfight: « I thinkthat our RBE2 electronic scanningradar is very good, indicatesLieutenant Le Bars.Against a F-15 or a F-16, twoaircraft types that have enormousradar cross-sectionsbecause of their massive airintakes,our detection rangesare excellent. In a BVR scenario,we always try to engageat high level and fire our lethalMica missiles at high altitudeto give them the longest possiblerange. Ideally, we will‘loft’ the radar-guided Micasto boost their range beforediving down to low level whilesimultaneously opening left orright. In doing so, we deny theopponent any opportunity tofire back. When in the ‘merge’,we quickly gain the upper handagainst a F-16: with our largedelta wing and our canardforeplanes, we have considerablymore authority in pitchand we can turn more tightly,the Rafale offering better sustainedturn rates than the F-16at low, medium and high levels.Our Snecma M88-2 turbofansare so powerful that we oftenhave to reduce power to avoidovertaking our prey.»All participants agreed thatthis first edition of the Flottille12F Air Defence Week was atotal success. Flottille 12F specialistsare already busypreparing the 2007 eventwhich should attract a largerforeign contingent. By July2007, the first four StandardF2 omnirole Rafale fighterswill be in service with the unit,and they are likely to participatein the exercise too.14 FOXTHREEFOXTHREE 15