France’s defense procurement agency has awarded multiple contracts for preparatory work ahead of the Rafale F5 production launch, scheduled for late 2026.
The F5 standard is a major upgrade designed to keep the 4.5-generation Rafale capable of countering evolving threats.
Dassault Aviation, Thales, MBDA France, and Safran Aircraft Engines have been contracted to provide enhanced capabilities, including a GPS-independent navigation system, a stealthy data link, a more powerful radar and engine, and an enhanced SPECTRA electronic warfare and self-protection system.
The upgraded fighter will also integrate the ASN4G, a nuclear-armed, scramjet-powered air-launched hypersonic cruise missile under development by MBDA France.
Qualification of the F5 is expected around 2033, before it enters service with the French Air and Space Force and later the French Navy.
France does not currently operate a fifth-generation fighter and is developing a sixth-generation aircraft under the Future Combat Air System program, which is not expected to enter service before 2040.
Contracts
Dassault Aviation will work on a very-low-drift inertial navigation system based on resonant hemispherical gyroscope technology. This will allow the Rafale F5 to determine its position, movement, and orientation with high precision without relying on external navigation signals.
For Thales, the contract covers development of a new stealthy and resilient Inter-Vehicle Data Link, providing high-speed, low-probability-of-detection communications resistant to jamming and enabling reliable connectivity in heavily contested environments.
Thales will also develop and produce the new RBE2-XG (2-plane eXtended Generation) electronically scanned radar, a significant evolution of the RBE2 AESA radar currently in service.
Greater power and detection range, improved capability against low-RCS (radar cross-section) targets, and enhanced computing power will give the RBE2-XG greater overall performance and support greater AI integration. Designed for collaborative combat, the radar will also offer improved resilience, including against cyber threats, to meet operational requirements beyond 2035.
Electronic Warfare and Engine
MBDA France and Thales will also enhance the Rafale’s SPECTRA electronic warfare and self-protection system, improving its jamming capabilities against increasingly dense and sophisticated threats.
Safran Aircraft Engines has been awarded a contract for the preliminary design of the M88 T-REX, an upgrade of the M88-2 engine intended to increase maximum thrust by 20 percent, from 7.5 to 9 tonnes.
The upgrade will retain the M88-2’s modular architecture and low fuel consumption while incorporating improvements to several engine modules.
The Rafale program supports more than 7,000 direct and indirect jobs in France and involves more than 400 companies across the country.
Source: Defence Post
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