During her visit to the Dassault Aviation site in Mérignac, the Minister for the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, announced the formalisation of the contract for the development and integration of the new Rafale F4 standard. Negotiations have been finalised between the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and the manufacturers. This decision is directly in line with the objectives of the 2019–2025 Military Programming Law, which aims in particular to shaping the future of France’s defence.
The F4 standard is primarily aimed at improving the Rafale’s connectivity and associated networked operating modes, both in a national and an allied context. As such, the Rafale F4 will represent a first step towards multi-platform connected collaborative combat and, consequently, towards the Future Air Combat System (SCAF). The Rafale’s ability to operate against new threats will be enhanced through improvements to SPECTRA (the protection and fire control avoidance system), the Frontal Sector Optronics (OSF) system, the TALIOS designation pod and the RBE2 electronically scanned radar. This new standard also provides for the integration of future upgrades to the ASMP-A, SCALP and 1,000 kg AASM missiles. Finally, a number of developments will facilitate operational readiness and in-service support through the introduction of fault diagnosis assistance functions, preventive maintenance and the modernisation of the M88 engine control unit.
The F4 standard is the result of collaborative work carried out by the DGA, the armed forces’ general staffs and the Directorate of Aircraft Maintenance (DMAé). Launched less than a month after the F3-R standard was approved, this new standard is part of the Rafale’s incremental development programme, enabling it to remain at the very highest standard in the face of evolving national and export requirements. The F4 standard will be introduced in two phases, in 2023 and 2025 respectively, so that the latest technologies and innovations can be incorporated as soon as they become available.