Rafale Underfunding Delays Deliveries, Full Production,
and Export Sales
Flight development of Dassault's compact, elegant and stealthy
Rafale multirole fighter started as long ago as July 1986, and
service-entry for both air force and navalized versions was originally
planned for 1997. Continuing budget restrictions resulted in deferment
of French navy (Aeronavale) Rafale M deliveries to late 2001,
and the French air force (AdlA) does not expect its first aircraft
until 2005.
Current Dassault delivery schedules comprise only one Rafale in
the current year, increasing to five in 2004, nine in 2005 and
19 in 2006. Full-rate annual production of about 22 Rafales is
not expected before 2008, to continue until 2018.
Following initial commitments for 13 Rafales in 1997, a multi-year
procurement contract awarded in 1999 for 48 Rafales included 35
Rafale Cs of the 234 required by the AdlA, of which about 60%
would be two-seat Rafale B combat/trainer versions; and 25 of
60 carrier-based Rafale Ms scheduled for Aeronavale procurement.
Revising former policies in 2000, Aeronavale decreed that 35 of
its new aircraft would be two-seat multirole Rafale N versions,
for delivery from 2008.
Allocations of 3.12 billion euros ($3.65 billion), covering 46
more AdlA Rafale B/C versions and 13 naval Rafale Ms, account
for 15% of total 2003 French military appropriations. They increase
total Rafale orders to 120, for delivery by 2008, when 86 will
be operational, and overall program funding to 4.085 billion euros,
from an eventual 24 billion euros. Seventy-six more Rafales costing
four billion euros are included in France's 2003-2008 military
budget program.
As the initial recipient, Aeronavale was flying 11 Rafale Ms early
this year. Like those, AdlA's first Rafale Cs are equipped for
air-defense roles to F1 standards, using MBDA Magic short-range
IR-guided AAMs and MBDA MICA radar-guided BVRAAMs, integrated
with the Thales RBE2 passive electronically-scanned radar and
a helmet-mounted sight.
From 2004, deliveries are due of multirole Rafale F2s, from a
one billion euro government contract, to integrate Thales/SAGEM
frontal-sector electro-optical systems (FSO), MIDS data-link systems,
and Spectra EW sub-systems. Ground-attack weapons will include
MBDA SCALP EG/Storm Shadow cruise missiles, APACHE runway-denial
weapons, and short-range laser-guided ASMs. Earlier Rafales will
be upgraded to similar standards.
From the 62nd production Rafale in 2007, deliveries are planned
of the first F3 versions, integrating RBE2 terrain-following with
equipment for maritime strike, reconnaissance and nuclear delivery
roles, using MBDA ASMP-A cruise missiles. The 15th Rafale M will
be modified as the first of Aeronavale's two-seat combat versions,
which will omit the standard 30 mm GiAT/DEFA 791B internal cannon
and its 125 rounds, to provide space for additional mission systems
electronics.
SNECMA is working on an uprated M88-3 turbofan, to develop 20,233
pounds thrust instead of 16,860 pounds thrust with afterburning
from current M-88-2s. The M88-3 would require larger intakes,
and cost about 400 million euros ($468 million) for R&D, but
could easily be retrofitted to earlier aircraft. Rafale power
increases of about 20% are considered particularly desirable for
potential export customers, which have so far failed to appear.
With SNECMA and Thales, Dassault is looking for international financial and
industrial partners for a 700 million euro program to develop Rafale
Mk 2 export version, with offers of substantial work sharing to
prospective companies.
