On February 23, 2024, the French Air and Space Force (AAE) revealed that the Rafale F4.1 fighter jet had completed its inaugural operational sortie in support of the 30th Fighter Wing's training exercises, affirming its readiness under the new standard. The aircraft's debut mission under the F4.1 standard occurred on Friday, February 16, 2024, at Air Base 118 in Mont-de-Marsan.
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The Rafale's debut mission under the F4.1 standard occurred on Friday, February 16, 2024, at Air Base 118 in Mont-de-Marsan. (Picture source: AAE)
After being delivered to the 01.030 "Côte d'Argent" fighter and experimentation squadron stationed at Air Base 118 a year prior, the Rafale F4.1 has been utilized for training missions by the armed forces and has now achieved its Initial Operational Capability (IOC), enabling its deployment for operational tasks, including air policing duties.
The final phase will encompass achieving Full Operational Capability (FOC), anticipated upon the full integration of all capacity enhancements and new equipment associated with the standard. These enhancements encompass a helmet-mounted sight and a new 1,000 kg armament, improvements to air-to-air and air-to-ground targeting systems, enhancements to the self-protection system, and integration of the Talios targeting pod. In the future, all Rafale aircraft within the French Air and Space Force and the Navy will undergo a gradual retrofit to meet the new F4.1 standard.
Initial testing of the Rafale F4.1, supervised by the DGA Flight Tests Center, occurred in April 2021 at Istres. Further tests in electronic warfare, aircraft survivability, and weaponry were conducted between 2021 and 2023 at various DGA facilities, including the Information Mastery, Aeronautical Techniques, and Missile Testing centers.
The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA), Direction générale de l'Armement, declared the qualification of the Rafale combat aircraft's F4.1 standard on March 13, 2023, indicating its readiness for collaborative aerial combat. The F4.1 standard incorporates capabilities such as collaborative air combat, integration of the 1000 kg AASM weapon, and enhanced cyber threat resilience. This standard brings significant enhancements in aerial combat capabilities, including integration of the Scorpion helmet sight, improvements in firing control for the Meteor missile, advancements in passive threat detection algorithms, and increased data exchange capabilities among Rafale aircraft.
Additionally, the F4.1 standard introduces the integration of the 1,000 kg AASM (Air-to-Ground Modular Weapon) with GPS/laser guidance, improved cyber threat protection, new features for sensors like Talios, OSF, and RBE2, and initial developments in connectivity. Alongside these advancements, various equipment and weapons are introduced onto the Rafale, including a new IRST for the Front Sector Optronics to enhance passive target detection and identification against low signature aircraft, upgrades to the RBE2 AESA radar with new SAR and GMTI/T modes for improved radar imagery and ground target detection, collaborative modes to enhance detection, tracking, and firing capabilities, the introduction of the Thales Scorpion helmet-mounted display and larger cockpit displays for target designation, and expansion of the Hammer family of munitions to include 1,000 kg variants, offering stand-off capabilities against larger or hardened targets.
Furthermore, the introduction of the F4.1 Standard will continue over the decade, incorporating new functionalities and equipment such as the MICA NG air-to-air missile, enhancements in connectivity with communication server and Satcom satellite link, and a digital jammer for the SPECTRA self-defense/electronic warfare suite.
