Baptism of fire for the Rafale.

http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/monde/244275.FR.php

For the 1st time a Rafale has made a actual war mission yesterday
The new combat aircraft has dropped two laser guided 250 bombs on a position of the Talibans in Afghanistan. It was a requiest of some Dutch troops under fire on the ground according to the army headquater.

rafale’s 2000l fuel tanks are care free handling with a 5.5G limit in the heavy configuration as shown on the picture. 3*2000l fuel tank+ 2scalp+ 4micas.

I mean how could it be otherwise for a fly by wire jetfighter? That is (mainly) why it takes so much time to integrate new weapons.

regards.

sealordlawrence,

for the moment I don’t know if a new m88 version is scheduled, they are speaking of aesa radar, osf ng, new missile warning reciever and other stuff for the post F3 standart but not a lot about an engine upgrade. The only thing sure that I know concerning this issue is that the AdA is motre intrested in the M88 ECO which is a lower consumption/ greater life span engine rather than the M88-3 with an increase in power.
M88-3 was already tested on the ground and 90% of its devlpoment is completed (because of the korean bid it is now stopped).
So nothing very clear about the engines.

another pic from afganistan.

Jackonicko was proven wrong once again like every thing else.
you lack a lot of credibility if you remain on the “I was told that…” especially when some reliable sources obviously countradict you.
So I don’t know if I can give you a lot of credit when you speak about MMI, radar… sometimes I wonder whether you are not a liar. (not a provocation here, but it is what I “sometimes” feel). And I am not comparing/speaking about aircraft here, just calling into question your cincerity.

jackonicko,

the first time I read your posts was a thread you have opened about a dassault’s advertising arguing that rafale was mature when others was nearly on everything. It ended with a duel between you and Fonck. I am sure you remember it.:D the “many” was a linguistic issue.
I think You are very good in making believe that you are the one with the absolute truth whereas others are only blind rafale supporters. It is your line of defence but I respectfully disagree.

jackonicko,

on every open competition you can find that rafale was the winner. I know my sources and I know yours but I think the sources we provided are far more accurate (we can check it). I know you will say you have spoken to the right people etc…. We understand how you make your points…but I am still very sceptical because we need to believe your own words and we can’t check it.
This is how I make my opinion about what you have been told:

I have read your post for several years and the least I can say is that you are not very neutral…So if If I don’t believe you, it is not because I am a rafale fan and I cannot acknowledge any of it weaknesses but the reason for I don’t believe you come directly from you and the opinion I have about you. It comes from the way you express your self which definitely convinced me that you are not unbias.

It is a bit like Fonck who wasn’t aware that his behaviour was arrogant. Likewise it seems like you are convinced that you are neutral but you are not.
I mean, sometimes your formulation betrays the fact that you are a typhoon fan (and there is nothing bad about it but don’t pretend you are neutral).

For instance chris or scorpion are posters which I find quite neutral globally. But not you.
The simple fact that as soon as the rafale is quoted you need to criticize it (even when there are no french posters!) and when it is about the typhoon you always have beautiful words. (my words are very basics due to my standart of english but I would have wanted to express more accuratly what I wanted to tell)

So to sum up if I disagree with you It is not because I am blind towards rafale weakness, but it is due to the credibility I give to what you write with the experience of many years of readings your posts.
Jackonicko, I don’t particularly want to ofend you here I wanted to tell you why usually most of reasonnable french posters don’t believe you. And most of them remain carefull with any comparisons which is not your case.

Eurofighter was not beaten in all foreign contests (Rafale, however, has been beaten by Typhoon, F-16 or F-15 in every single competition and/or evaluation it has entered, and was rated above Typhoon ONLY in Korea). Typhoon won the evaluation in Singapore, was selected in Greece, was shortlisted in Norway, and has won two orders in Austria and Saudi Arabia.

And that is what I feared you are here at the same level as him and I know you can be much more sensible…It is stronger than you:D !

How can you write something like that?
The F15 was beaten by the rafale in south korean evaluation (by a little margin of 3%), it was released in the south korean press (I know Tmor has the extract in question. I don’t have a copy on my PC). So your claim is obviously wrong and reveals a lot of resentment.
Plus Rafale was compared to F15, EF and JSF as far as I know not the F16. and all pilots comments say that F16 was no match against rafale and with no ambiguities…
And last but not least you are forgetting the Dutch evaluation…

For the Singaporean evaluation we have statments which say to diffrent things but as far as I am concerned I believe more a rafale pilot which make an official comment with his credibility at stake rather than an unsigned article…But that is just a personnal opinion and we cannot prove anything it is just a mattrer of personnal belief.

So I would have prefer that you remained a little bit more balance in your comment even if I admitt it is hard to remain calm with foofoone…

I think every thing was said about the diffrent competitions and I think both side can conclude “mine is best” so it is useless to argue anymore one this point.
This debate round in circle it would be more intresting to discuss about future upgrades I think.

Do you notice that a F4 is discussed now? It seems that the programme is gaining momentum…It is a positive moove don’t you think?