Rafale Programme :Thales welcomes award of F3 Development Contract
19 February 2004
Thales welcomes the award by the French Ministry of Defence of a contract to develop the F3 standard for the Rafale programme.
This contract will be worth more than 100 million euros to Thales.The entry into operational service of this new standard, incorporating technology advances and improved performance, will enhance the effectiveness and mission success of the Rafale for the French Air Force and Navy as a key element of France's defence for the coming decades.
Several standards have been successively developed for the Rafale programme to meet French Air Force and Navy requirements in line with defence budget constraints.
The Rafale F1 standard equips the first carrier-based Rafale aircraft. This standard is adapted to air defence missions flown by the Rafale from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, and supported deployment in the Indian Ocean in late 2002. Thales supplied the RBE2 electronic scanning radar, SPECTRA electronic warfare self-protection suite, mission computer, and visualisation, IFF and communications systems for the Rafale F1.
Rafale F2, designed for the French Air Force and Navy, is the first multi-role aircraft. It supports additional air-to-ground, air-to-surface and low-altitude penetration features, as well as the Forward Sector Optronics System (FSOS), MIDS tactical data link and the new EMTI computer. F2 will enter operational service this year and undergo trials on the first outfitted aircraft.
Rafale F3 will give the Rafale complementary operational capabilities, including deployment and fire control of ASMP-A medium-range air-to-ground missiles and AM39 anti-ship missiles, as well as accommodating the RECO NG optronics pod and high-resolution air-to-ground mapping with the RBE2 radar. The Rafale F3 will enter service with French forces in 2008.
Press contact :
Verena Adt
Tel:+ 33(0) 1 57 77 86 26
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