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INDEPENDENCE

- P h o t o F

. R o b i n e a u

- D a s s a u l t A v i a t i o n

D a s s a u l t A v i a t i o n • S n e c m a • T h a l e s

W hen a single countr y makes your aircr aft f rom nose to t ail, you know exactly what

you’re getting into. Rafale is not subject to multinational controls. It also offers

unrestricted access to key weapon systems technologies, spare parts, and know-how.

Rafale offers superior operational effectiveness and failsafe worldwide support, yet isn’t

delivered wrapped in red tape. Or with strings attached. Rafale. The OMN IROLE fighter



The Rafale wa s conceived as a swing-role fighter cap able

of carryi ng out an extremely wid e range of missions. As a

result, the M88 engine had to comply with stringent require-

ments: it had to be compact and was designed to excel at

low and high levels. Moreover, engine response to pilot throttle

movements had to be instantaneous. “The M88 i s an inno-

vative powerpla nt with a very high thrust to weight ratio,

an extremely low fuel consumption in all flight regimes,

and a very long life, explains Michel Caunes, Snecma

M88 programme Director. As of October 2009 , 75 production

Rafales powered by M 88 engines had been delivered and

development and production engines had logged more

than 100,0 00 functioning hours.”

M8 8 : M ORE THRUST THAN EN OUGH

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Snecma (a SAFRAN Group company) is currently working on a more powerful variant of the acclaimed M 8 8 -2 t urbofan, a stat e-of-the-art engine which powers the Rafale omnirole fighter.

High level ofperformance

To provide the required amountof thrust while keepi ng fuelconsumption within given limits,Snecma engineers had to comeup with innovative solutions to

ensure that perfo rmance levelscomplied with the extremelydemanding French power anddurab i l i t y r equ i r ement s.Consequent ly, the M 88 -2

i n c o r p o r a t e s a d v a n c e dtechnologies such as integrally-bladed compressor disks,called ‘bl isks’, low-pollutioncombustor, single-crystalhigh-pressure turbine blades,ceramic coatings, revolutionarypowder metallurgy disks, andc o m p o s i t e ma t e r i a l s .Additionally, the M88 has beenoptimised so that i ts smallinfrared signa ture does notcompromise the Rafale’s overallIR signature, a nd i ts non-pol-luting, smoke-free emissionsmake the aircraft more difficultto detect visually than olderdesigns.The M88 -2 powerplant is ratedat 10,971 lb dry and 16,620lb wi th afterburner. It is equippedwith a fully-redundant SnecmaFADEC (Full Authority Digital

Engine Control) which all owsit to accelerate from idle to fullafterburner in less than threeseconds. Thanks to the FADEC,the M88-2 engi nes give theRafale stunning performance:carefree engine handling allowsthe throttle to be slammed fromcombat power to idle and backt o c o m b a t p o w e r a g a i na n y w h e r e i n t h e f l i g h tenvelope. The compressorut i l ises a three stage lo wpressure fan, and a six stagehigh pressure compressor. Peakengine temperature is 1,85 0 K(1,577 °C) with a pressureratio of 24.5:1 , and, at max-imum dry power, specific fuelconsumption i s in the order of0.8 kg/ daN.h, increasing to1.7 kg/ daN.h with afterburner.

M odular engine

Reducing the costs of owner-ship and i mproving perform-a n c e h a v e a l w a y s b e e nobvious targ ets for Snecmaa n d t h e M 8 8 h a s b e e ndes igned t o ach ieve t heoptimum combination of oper-ational readi ness and relia-bility. To facilitate rapid repairand maintenance in harsh con-ditions and minimise sparesholding s, the engine is dividedi n t o 2 1 m o d u l e s, i n t e r -changeable wi thout a need

for balancing a nd re-calibra-tion. Some of these modulescan even be changed withouttaking the engine out of theRafale airframe, and a M88can be removed and replacedin under an hour. Even more sig-nificant is the fact that, aftermaintenance, there is no needto check the turbofan in a testbench before it is installedback on the aircraft. The M88

is the only engine of its kindthat can be returned to serviceafter changing modules withoutrequiring a new g round accept-ance test – all wha t it needs isa simple leak test. As a directconsequence, the French AirForce has decided no t to pro-

cure any dedi cated test benchfor the M88 . Since enteringservice, the M8 8-2 has under-gone a number of improve-ments and M 88 -2 Stage 4engines are currently beingdelivered.



M 8 8 E CO a nd T COtechnology program s

The M88 was designed as atotally modular engine wi th alot of bui lt-in growth p otential.In the last couple of years,Snecma ha s been extremelyactive, testing new hardwa reto increase engine life, reducecosts and demonstrate thathigher thrust levels could beachieved.From 2003 to 2007, duringthe M88 ECO prog ramme,Snecma engineers tested newtechnologi es to demonstratethat they could increase evenfurther the life of some com-

ponents to diminish operatingcosts. In all, more than 4,00 0Total A ccumulated Cycles(TACs) were log ged b y the testengine during endurance trials.The engine wa s also rated upto 20, 00 0 pounds of thrust todemonstrate that this level ofpower could be achieved witha li mited amount of modif i-cations.Launched in 2 008 , the M88TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)programme was initiated tofurther improve engine dura-bil ity and bring support costsdown. Capi talising on the ECOproject, Snecma was able toupgrade the hig h-pressure

compressor and the high-pres-sure turbine of the M 88-2:cooling is ameliorated andstronger components havebeen introduced, boostingdurability by up to 50%. Lifeexpectancy between overhaulh a s b e e n c o n s i d e r a b l yexpanded for a number ofmodules, helpi ng further mini-mise the impact of plannedmaintenance on engine avai-lab ili ty. The First Engine To Test(FETT) ran for the first time inSeptember 200 9 and the firstTCO pack for M88 engineswill be delivered to the FrenchArmed Forces in 2011.

Uprated engine

For Air Arms requiring morepower for enhanced combatagility and improved perfor-mance in very hot weather,Snecma is considering thedevelopment of a variant ofthe M88 which will be rated at

20,000 lb with afterburner.The staged approach has hada v e r y g o o d i m p a c t o ncommonality between variants:“since the M88 programme was launched, one of our objectives was to regularly introduce new technologies that could reduce the engine’s operating costs, increase its dispatch reliability and increase its thrust, explains Michel

Caunes. The successive M 88 ECO and TCO technology programs al low us to pro-gressively reduce risks and limit associated costs. We have managed to retain a very high d e g r e e o f c o m m o n a l i t y between the M88 -2 TCO a nd the uprated engine. Compared

wi th the M88 -2 TCO, the uprated turbofan will require less than 20 % new par ts,including a redesigned low-pressure compressor for ahigher airflow. In fact, we will have to alter only two of the 21 modules. This is quite an achievement which wi ll enable u s t o k e e p c o s t s w i t h i n acceptable limits. The M88-2 and the new engine will remain

fully interchangeable, but the introduction of the new type will impose the adoption of slightly enlarged air-intakes to allow for the higher airflow.” Wi th the new uprated engine,the Rafale omnirol e fighter wil lprove even more competitivein terms of thrust-to-weight ra tio

at combat weight. The fighterwil l be ab le to take of f atmaximum weight in a veryshort distance, even in the mostdemanding weather condi-tions, at high altitude, in theheat of the desert. Climb rate,acceleration, sustained turnrate wi l l a l l be massivelyimproved, bringing the Rafale’scombat e f f ec t i veness t ounprecedented levels.

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M88 : M ORE THRUST THAN ENOUGH

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For the Rafa le omnirole fighter, Thales has

provided the most advanced sensors and

integra ted a vionics suite e ver designed for

a combat aircraft . It comprises the RBE2

electronic scanning radar, t he Front Sector

Optr onics, the Spectr a electronic warfar e sui te, t he Damocles target ing pod and

the AREOS (1 ) reconnaissance system ,

all supplied by Thales.

NOWHERE TO HIDE

All the Rafale’s sensors are closely integrated and all d ata

is automatically fused to massively reduce pil ot workload and

significantly increase tactical effectiveness. “O ur goal was

to avoid saturating the pilot, expla ins Jean-Noël Stock,

Thales Rafale Progra mme Director. This smart data fusion signi-

ficantly increases mission success rates through enhanced

crew awa reness and i mproved aircraft survivability. This is

a crucial a dvantage over our competitors.”

From the outset, the French Armed Forces have adop ted an

innovative electronic scanning radar for the Rafale fi ghter.

Electronic scanning radars have numerous advantages

over legacy mechanically steered types: they scan the sky

much more quickly, they allow targets to be tracked outside

the selected search volume and their rad ar modes can be

interleaved.

The first Rafales were al l fitted w ith a passive antenna and

Thales and the French Mil itary a re now switching to active

electronic scanning array technology. “In the late nineties,

we thought there were some risks involved going straight

to the AESA and this i s why we chose the PESA (3) for the

first Rafale standards, stresses Jean-Noël Stock. The active

array i s made up of solid-state GaAs transmit/ receive

modules which can steer and reposition the radar b eam at

very high speed in any d irection. The new radar varia nt also

incorporates a new da ta processing unit and a streng-

thened structure to cope with the higher weight o f the AESA.

In terms of performance, d etection range is increased by

The Rafale i s the only fighter equipped wi th an integrated

system optimised for target identifi cation and ba ttle damage

assessment at stand-off distances. The Front Sector Optronics

is composed of a po werful TV sensor to id entify targ ets andto determine the number of hostile ai rcraft within a n incoming

raid, and of an eyesafe laser rangefinder for telemetry.

W hen used in conj unction with the long range Mi ca IR mis-

sile, the FSO allows entirely passive interceptions to be car-

ried o ut without rada r emissions. In the air-to-ground mode,

the FSO is used to accurately determine target coordi nates

before attacki ng with pr ecision weap ons such as the AASM

(Air-to-Surface M odul ar Arma ment) or LGBs (Laser Guid ed

Bombs). A new generation i nfrared sensor for pa ssive search

and track of airborne targets and for night identificationcould be i ntegrated into the FSO a t a later stage. Such an

infrared sensor operating i n the 8 to 12 µm band has been

field ed in the French Air Force F2 Standard Rafales, and a n

updated variant working in the 3 to 5 µm band is being

studied fo r the future gro wth of the FSO. The FSO ha s been

in service since 200 5 and i s now combat proven.

considerably more than 50% and the radar can loo k in many

directions at the same time, offering significantly enhanced

tracking capabilities. Angular coverage in azimuth is improved

and very small targets with lower radar cross section such as

cruise missiles could al so be detected. Furthermore, AESA

radars are inherently more reliable and cheaper to main-

tain.” The AESA demonstrator first flew in 2002 and, since then,

hundreds of flight hours have been logged to support the

develop ment effort. On top of that, the AESA has been suc-

cessfully evaluated by a number of potential customers. A

European production l ine for T/ Rmodules has been set up

and, a t the time of writing , six develop ment AESAs had been

delivered and three pre-series AESAs were in production, with

first deliveries to Dassault Aviation planned for 2 011 .

Passive interception

AESA(2 )

M ULTI -SENSOR

DATA FUSION



For both strategi c and tactical reconnaissance missions, the

French Armed Forces have adop ted the Thales System Reco

NG (new generation tacti cal reconnai ssance system) for the

Rafale. “This high-tech, day and ni ght equipment can be

used in a wide range of scenarios, from stand-off distances

at very high altitude do wn to very high speed and extremely

low-level, enthuses Jean-N oël Stock. To shorte n the

intelligence gathering cycle and accelerate the tempo of

operation, the pod i s fitted with a datali nk which allows high

resolution images to be transmitted back to the military

deciders in real time.” Since July 2009, the System Reco

NG has been undergoing qualification testing / operational

evaluation at M ont-de-Marsan Ai r Base, wi th entry into service

planned for early 2010. This very advanced system is now offered

on the expor t market under the AREOS designati on.

AREOS

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The Spectra(4) multi-spectral, totally integrated electronic

warfare suite is designed to ensure efficient electroma-

gnetic detection, la ser warning, missile approach war-

ning using pa ssive IR detection technology, ja mming and

chaff/ flare dispensing. Three-dimension direction-finding

accuracy is excellent, and the time taken for signal iden-

tification is extremely short. Its very high p rocessing power

gives outstanding d etection and omni-directional jamming

performance through active antennas, optimising the

response to match the threat, even i n a multi-threat environment.

The location and types of systems detected by Spectra can

be recorded for later analysis, giving Rafale operators a

substantial built-in ELINT capab ili ty.

(1) AREOS: Airbo rne REconnaissance and Observation System(2) AESA: Acti ve Electronical ly Scanned Array Radar(3) PESA: Passive Electronically Scanned Array Radar(4) SPECTRA: Self-Protection Equipment Countering Threats of Rafale Aircraft

SPECTRA

In modern warfare, the ability to detect, localise, identify

and engag e ground targ ets at stand-off distances is a real

necessity. This is why the Rafal e is now bei ng fitted w ith the

Thales Damocles targeting pod. The new i nfrared (3rd

generation staring array detector) and laser technologi es

chosen for the Damocles provide extended detection and

recognitio n ranges, permitting la ser-guided a rmament to

be delivered at substantially greater ranges from higher alti-

tudes, considerably red ucing the aircraft’s vulnerabili ty to

short/ medium-range air-defence systems.

In mid-2009, the French MoD issued a contract for the

Mastrid (M ulti-context Airborne System for Target Recognition

and IDentificatio n) demonstrator to ensure that new capa-

bilities will be available for the Damocles XF (eXtended

Features) from 201 2. W ith the Mastrid project, a new high-

definition TV sensor optimised for short-range engagement

and a new software to bo ost the resolution of the IR sensor

will be developed and test flown.

Wi th such a large suite of advanced sensors and a direct

access to da talink networks, the Rafale is a key contributor

to the common tactical air picture. The ongoing improve-

ments to its sensor suite will further increase the combat

effectiveness of an already revolutionary aircraft

Damocles

NOWHERE TO HIDE


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W ith its outst anding endurance, its in-flight refuelling capability and its very long-range stand-off weapons, the Rafale omnirole fighter is extremely well equipped to strike distant, well-defended, deeply buried hardened targets.

GLOBAL REACH

The Rafale has been designed as a very compact, hi gh-tech fighter capab le of carryi ng a hugeexternal load of fuel tanks and missiles. In fact, it can carr y more than 15,0 00 kg of keroseneand weap ons, quite an accomplishmentor an aircraft weig hing less than 10 tonnes empty.

Scalp

For long-range attacks of high-value, heavily defended tar-gets, the French Armed Forceshave selected the Scalp crui semissile o f the MBDA Scalp / Apache / Storm Shadow / Black Shaheen family. TheRafale’ s normal combat load

is composed of two Scalps,four Mica air-to-air missilesand three 2,000-litre drop

t anks . The Sca lp ca n bereleased at very l ow level,w i t h t he Raf a le f l y i ng interrain-following mode to avoiddetection. W ith its fuel-effi-cient Microturbo engine, this‘intelligent’, stealth weaponcan navig ate autonomouslyat high subsonic speed towardsthe target which will be clearly

iden t i f ied by i t s onboardinfrared sensor: automatictarget recognition algori thms

compare the actual scene withthe memorised scene, id entifythe designated target, andaccurately select the impactpoint in order to hit with veryhigh preci sion. To maximiseits military effect, the Scalp i sf i t t ed w i t h a r emarkab lypower f u l B roach t andemwarhead which can defeat

heavily p rotected bunkers.

Buddy-buddy tankers

Wi th their 4,700 kg of internalfuel, sing le-seat Rafal es boastan impressive range whi ch canbe massively extended by upto five external d rop tanks (three2,000 -litre and two 1,250 -litrefuel tanks) under f ive wethardpoi nts, four under thewing s and one under the fuse-

lage. Range can be furtherincreased thanks to a ir-to-airrefuelling and the Rafale canrefuel from a wide range oftankers: A3 30 MRTT, Boeing707 , I l-78 M idas, KC-135 ,KC-130, VC-10… It can also bef i t ted with a buddy-buddyre f ue l l ing pod under t hecentreline pylon, a nd FrenchNa vy Rafales routinely refillthe tanks of other Rafa les and



Méteor

For air-defence / air-superioritymissions, the Rafale is alrea dyequipped w ith the outstandingMica air-to-air missile capableof performing both short-ranged o g f i g h t c o m b a t s a n dlong-range interceptions. Forengagements at even longerdistances, the Rafale w ill soonbe armed wi th the MBDAMeteor ai r-to-air missile. Thenew, ramjet-propelled Meteor

will offer a no-escape zoneseveral t imes greater thanthat of today’s missiles. Thisextremely fast missile - Mach4+ - is designed to retainsufficient energy at end game

to defeat hard manoeuvringtargets. W hen f it ted to theRa f a l e , t h e n e w M e t e o rmissile wi ll create a formidablecombina tion o f weapon/ sensor/ airfra me. The FrenchMini stry of Defence has recentlyreaffirmed its support to theprogramme, and it has beenoff icially a nnounced that afirst batch of 200 Meteorswill b e ordered for the Rafale

as par t o f 201 0 de f enceprocurement budget.On top of the Scalp, the AASM,the Mi ca IR/ RF, the M eteorand its internal 30 mm gun,the Rafale i s cleared to carry

the AM39 Exocet antiship mis-sile and the GBU-12/ 22/ 24laser guided bombs, and theFrench Armed Forces areseriously considering the adop-tion of r ockets in the near future.Wi th such a wide range ofweapons, the Rafale has nowbecome the most powerfulstrike fighter ever designed,a tool that will deter aggression.

Combat-proven AASM

For simultaneous attacks ofmultiple targ ets, the Rafalecan ripple fi re up to six AASM(Armement Air-Sol Modulai re,Modu l a r , A i r - t o -Sur f aceArmament) stand-off preci sionweapons in o ne pass to strikesix different impact points with

clinical precision. Designedby Sagem, the AASM i s com-posed of a GPS / INS / IRimager guida nce kit at thefront, a bomb body (generalpurpose or penetration) in thecentre, and a rocket motor att he rear . The ex t remelya d v a n c e d A A SM c a n b ereleased from very high or

very low levels, and its powerfulcontrols allow it to manoeuvreaggressively to engage dis-tant, off-boresight targets. Upto six AASMs can be carriedby a single Rafale, plus fourMica air-to-air missiles andthree 2,000-litre drop tanks.

of Super Etendard fighters,extending their reach from theCharles de Gaulle carrier.Buddy-buddy tankers couldalso prove really useful in ahigh threat environment, theirsix Mica air-to-air missiles givingthem considerable firepower forself-defence (and even to escorta strike package).

GLOBAL REACH

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