Planes and Flight

The Rafale is a French-built, highly agile, twin-engined, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is being produced for both the French Air Force, as well as Navy, which will use a variant capable of operating from aircraft carriers. While no foreign sales have been completed yet, several countries have expressed interest. The Rafale has software-based virtual stealth.

General characteristics

* Crew: 1-2
* Length: 15.27 m (50.1 ft)
* Wingspan: 10.80 m (35.4 ft)
* Height: 5.34 m (17.4 ft)
* Wing area: 45.7 m² (492 ft²)
* Empty weight: 9,060 kg (20,000 lb)
* Useful load: 9,500 kg (21,000 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 24,500 kg (54,000 lb)
* Powerplant: 2× SNECMA M88-2 turbofans

Performance

* Maximum speed: >Mach 1.8 (2,130 km/h, 1,320 mph)
* Range: 1,800 km (970 nm, 1,100 mi)
* Service ceiling: 18,000 m (60,000 ft)
* Rate of climb: 333 m/s (65,600 ft/min)
* Wing loading: 326 kg/m² (83 1/3 lb/ft²)
* Thrust/weight: 0.83

Armament

* Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GIAT 30/719B cannon with 125 rounds
* Missiles:
o Air-to-air:
+ MICA IR/EM or
+ AIM-9 Sidewinder or
+ AIM-132 ASRAAM or
+ AIM-120 AMRAAM or
+ MBDA Meteor or
+ Magic II
o Air-to-ground:
+ MBDA Apache or
+ SCALP EG or
+ AASM or
+ AM 39 Exocet or
+ ASMP nuclear missile

Avionics

* Thales RBE2 radar
* Thales Spectra electronic warfare system.
* Thales/SAGEM OSF (Optronique Secteur Frontal) infrared search
and track system.