La France et les Emirats Arabes Unis discutent d'un financement commun du Rafale F5
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
France and the United Arab Emirates discuss joint financing of the Rafale F5
As part of the Rafale's evolution, France has launched discussions with the United Arab Emirates to involve them in the development and financing of the future F5 standard.
The French Ministry of Defence recently announced that it had launched the development of the Rafale F5. But what it did not reveal was that France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are currently discussing joint funding to develop the future F5 standard within the framework of the Rafale club, which is currently informal, according to corroborating sources. These are very detailed discussions with Abu Dhabi, which is a privileged and natural partner for France in view of the 80 Rafales it has purchased. In addition to the Emiratis' desire to participate in future upgrades of the aircraft, co-financing the Rafale F5 would be very convenient for the Ministry of Defence at a time when France's budget situation is complicated. However, the most critical parts of the Rafale will remain exclusively sovereign.
In addition, the UAE could order a further 20 Rafales. This sale is currently under discussion between the two countries and aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. By the end of 2021, Abu Dhabi had ordered 80 Rafales from the aircraft manufacturer, armed with Mica NG air-to-air missiles and Black Shaheen cruise missiles. This is the biggest arms contract in France's history (worth more than €16 billion).
A new aircraft
The Rafale programme, managed by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), is based on continuous development, enabling the aircraft to be adapted to changing requirements and threats by means of successive standards. Expected in the next decade, the Rafale F5, which is designed to enhance the operational capabilities of customer air forces, takes advances in connectivity and data processing power even further by offering enhanced capabilities for the aircraft.
A genuine mid-life refit, the F5 standard includes the development of a new radar, a new electronic warfare system, new optronic sensors and the integration of the ASN4G nuclear missile (for France only), as well as saturation weapons. It will benefit from enhanced integration with other systems, both on the ground and in the air, and can be supported by a stealth combat drone designed to facilitate operations to penetrate enemy defences. This drone will be based on experience gained with the Neuron demonstrator. This drone, which will accompany the Rafale F5, will offer a high level of stealth and will be equipped with new-generation sensors.
It will feature resilient connectivity and a wide range of payloads. It will be capable of in-flight refuelling, enabling it to operate over a wide range. The native integration of artificial intelligence in its mission system will enable Rafale crews to integrate the UAV into an agile collaborative combat strategy, the first building block in the SCAF (Future Air Combat System) programme.
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