Rafale B with ASMP

+ some bad pics of Mirage 2000 N and SEM here at the bottom of the page :

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/france/asmp.htm

At the moment 120 serial aircraft ordered

orders :

1992/1995

B301 ; B302 ; C101 ; M1 to M10

(all delivered)

1998-1999

32 Rafale B/C F2 and 16 Rafale M F2

(3-5 B delivered yet)

2004

59 Rafale F3 including 11 Rafale B, 36 Rafale C, 12 Rafale M

I remember a story in France or in Belgium (in this case it may be the same event as mentionned by The Joker) with a liner pilot and a radar detecting something really strange and some fighters were sent into interception, they turned a while with no result. Some people thought it was an UFO.

There are also some reports of liner pilots who reported strange things.

And in 1991 there was a period in which many people in Belgium reported to have seen triangular UFOs, it was even on the TV news.

anyway I do think there’s always an explanation. A weather probe, a plane, a strange eletromagnetic phenomena etc.

about the “flying saucers” it is really funny, especially since it is over exploited.

not to mention many people who are crazy and/or want to attract attention on them

I don’t think there’s a link between the radar and the color of the radome.
The greek Mirage 2000 RDM have a grey one for example.

The contract was agreed before, now it is signed.

so how many su-30 will be delivered at the end? and at the moment how many of them are MKI ?

Obviously the Rafale is the newer aircraft with newer technologies, however against many opponents of today.. is buying newer model M2K’s good enough?

Considering the types of threats it faces, S-300, etc the M2K armed with Scalp/Black Shaheen, etc could do the job as effectively as the Rafale. Furthermore the M2K is cheaper and it also brings up the arguement, would you prefer 2 M2Ks or 1 Rafale..

Perhaps the biggest threat to the Rafale sales comes primarily from it’s older brother.

You are quite right when you say a Mirage 2000 is plenty for what is needed today, and as it is also cheaper you touch the problem of all those new expensive aircraft such as the Rafale. That’s why actually countries are buying the Gripen, The F-16 bl 50, or the Mirage 2000-x and are reluctant to buy the Rafale or the Eurofighter for instance.

about the 2 versus 1 argument, personally I don’t know, but the Rafale is still more capable. Anyway that is the second problem with those new expensive aircraft, they are too expensive for what they are and the countries which will decide to buy them will be obliged to lower the numbers of their aicraft. But one day we will realize we can’t do anything with a handfull of fighters even if they can compete with a starship from Star Wars.