Neither of those countries has operated in a high threat environment for the last 25 years and the Rafale has never operated in that environment operationally.
While Libya wasn’t exactly the highest threat environment one could find, fact is that the Rafale went in on the first day (and not even low level) while everybody else (meaning, everything NATO countries had in store except the F-22) waited until the defenses were weakened through cruise missiles strikes before going in… maybe the threat level wasn’t so low as one may have thought, after all…
There is nothing inherent in the Eurofighter design that would prevent it from being a viable replacement for low level penetration.
having no capability for terrain following, it was to do with the pilot’s Mk1 eyeball sensor to avoid hitting something… it may do well on a nice and clear day, but in bad weather or by night, I woudn’t bet so much on it…
I agree that politically Germany acquiring/operating the Rafale would be a death sentence for future Eurofighter exports but no one outside the Middle East and sub-continent is buying either anyway so the point is somewhat moot.
not so moot for as long as they keep trying to sell it 😉 …
btw, they also have to “sell” the idea of it being useful to the german public opinion as well 😉
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