Declared operationally ready in 2006 by the 1/7 Provence fighter squadron, the Rafale is currently in use by seven Air Force squadrons. It has proven its effectiveness in combat in Afghanistan as well as on a number of other missions (Harmattan, Serval, Barkhane, Sangaris, Hamilton, etc.).
Declared operationally ready in 2006 by the 1/7 Provence fighter squadron, the Rafale is currently in use by seven Air Force squadrons. It has proven its effectiveness in combat in Afghanistan as well as on a number of other missions (Harmattan, Serval, Barkhane, Sangaris, Hamilton, etc.). In addition to the role it plays in air policing, air defense and flight assistance in French airspace, the Rafale is also the mainstay of the French Strategic Air Forces’ permanent nuclear deterrent strategy. Since February 2022, the Rafale has been participating in airborne reassurance missions on NATO’s eastern flank.
Produced by Dassault Aviation and 400 French partner companies, the Rafale is an ultra-versatile (“omnirole”) fighter, designed to replace the seven different types of previous-generation aircraft once used by the French Air & Space Force and the French Navy.
The Rafale is the only aircraft in the world capable of carrying up to 1.5 times its own weight in fuel and weaponry. Designed from the outset to have its operational capabilities continuously improved, it regularly incorporates the latest technological developments, based on user feedback. The Rafale will be the fighter jet used by the French armed forces until at least the middle of the 21st century.
Nearly 60% of Rafales ordered to date have been sold for export.
The Rafale is the fruit of 70 years of French jet fighter aviation excellence, which began with the Ouragan and continued with the Mystère, Mirage and Jaguar families.