One of the major advantage the Rafale has over the Eurofighter is that the Rafale is marketed by the French only, while the EF has 3 different marketing departments !! do they coordinate their efforts? thats the big question..

Rafale history of hiccups has shown that even a single marketing departments can mess it like three different Dozens!
Frankly, did you wake up just to write that thing? 😉

Didn’t they just reduce a lot of their export prospects by adding American-made systems to the mix?

Best regards,

IMOHO, they gain some credibility with a reliable customer support implanted worldwide. Systems would also be cross-platforms, increasing attractiveness.

Boeing, Paramount To Weaponize South African AHRLAC

According to the agreement, Boeing will develop an integrated mission system for the aircraft enabling ISR and light strike missions for the AHRLAC safety & security, and military variants. This militarized version will be known as Mwari, a name taken from South African mythology regarded by some tribes as an omnipotent, all-seeing being.

The cost of the aircraft [before system upgrade] was estimated to be under $10 million

Source:
DefenseNews.com

Vertical tail of the 22:
Vortex shedding (and vortex by itself) generate flutter (vibrations generated by the airstream). To mitigate this potentially destructive factor, on such items like a flat tail, you need volume (the volume is what dampen the vibration (with the mass obviously… Except that you don’t want that extra mass!). In order to have volume and less drag you have to size up your vertical tail a bit more than what you need.
Then comes active flutter cancellation, either aerodynamically or by meanings that slightly deform the shape of the outer skin that it can interact with the airstream and dampen the modal regime. With such system activated, you don’t need the extra volume needed before.
So, what can be guessed with the 22 and the fact that it has not all movable fins and that they are smaller on the final design is… That it has an active flutter cancelation system installed, both aero and structural.

That’s it for today brother Watson 😉

From pedantic land ,
Your devoted TViP

Related to the nose cone discussion:
Has anyone cared about what is the design Mach of thr Space Shuttle with its fatty rounded nose: Mach 24 (from my MEM).
The only restriction you have for the cone angle is that it fit inside the generated mach cone, which is related to the sin of 1/Mach. That’s it.
Manufacturer use a pointy nose for various reason
The shape of the Mirage F1 is as much dictated by the difficulties of designing a transparent nose cone for the radar than aerodynamics (varied) reasons*. Let’s only remind all that a cone is more draggy than a bullet shape like one.

*hence the restricted available space and pointy nose of many Dassault design.

Are they paid to co-dev something?

OK, Thank you for taking the time. Here is it directly from the original source:

At low airspeed, the FCS is primarily an AOA command system using AOA feedback above 22° to provide increasing stick force with increasing AOA.
The maximum commanded AOA is approximately 45° to 50° at full aft stick. Combined with the capability to command high AOA is the ability to generate high nose-down pitch rates with large forward stick to rapidly reduce AOA, particularly below approximately 200 KCAS. This nose-down pitch rate capability is further enhanced as airspeed decreases to 150 KCAS. When airspeed is below 150 KCAS and longitudinal stick is pushed far forward (greater than 1.7 inches), up to full stabilator, maximum rudder flare-out, and LEX spoiler are commanded to rapidly get the aircraft nose moving down. This FCS feature was added to enable pilots to rapidly reduce AOA when at low airspeed and high AOA for quick nose repositioning. To maintain departure resistance, the enhanced nose-down pitch rate capability is reduced when lateral stick is deflected more than one inch

This comes from the Flight Manual (Flaps Auto): F18 EF – 000 (15 SEPTEMBER 2008)
Please, keep in mind that FBW are often altered (refined ideally) during the decades of life time of a modern fighter jet.

And another extract relative to the earlier discussion with some posters regarding buffeting:

Airframe buffet is also noticeable in the cockpit while maneuvering at tactical speeds between approximately 6° and 11° AOA. At low altitudes, this AOA range begins at approximately 6g but at high altitude begins at 2g to 3g. Above this AOA range, the buffet sensation at the cockpit subsides slightly but is still apparent in the airframe. Although this buffet at elevated-g is present in all configurations, it is most apparent with empty wing pylons at transonic flight conditions. Additionally, persistent but bounded wing rock or roll-off may occur at some flight conditions if the maneuvers linger in the 8 to 13° AOA range.

Enjoy!

The French use the Rafale as a ASMP-A platform. Nothing I’ve read so far has indicated that the ASMP-A is being exported to India.

Legally, it would be a weird thing to do. Surely the Fr parliament will have an eye on it. But… strange things happens every days and it’s not like this rumored idea is new. But for a nation that is reticent to even upgrade the M2K of Taiwan as soon as China tremble…