France conducts first F4-1 Rafale test campaign
F4-1 Rafale test flight. (Photo: Ministère des Armées)
The French Directorate General of Armament carried out the first F4-1 Rafale test campaign.
From 26 to 29 April, the Directorate General of Armament (DGA) conducted the first F4-1 Rafale test campaign.
The F4 standard will include helmet viewfinder capacity, the Mica NG and the 1000kg AASM bomb.
The campaign consisted of eight complex missions representing 50 aircraft sorties and was carried out by crews from the DGA, French Navy, French Air Force and Dassault Aviation.
They allowed two Rafale to be inserted into the current development state of the F4-1 standard in a large-scale aerial system, with up to eight aircraft in combat zones for tactical phases and in-flight refuelling slots.
The Rafale F4-1 was tested in a realistic technical-operational framework. The crews, equipped with SCORPION helmet sights, were able to implement the new collaborative combat features.
The aptitude-for-use (RAU) campaign mobilised numerous air assets of the Ministry of the Armed Forces: eight Rafale including two Rafale Marine, two Mirage 2000 and two Alphajet.
Other contributions include; the daily provision of the Mediterranean training area by the Navy and important means of DGA Flight Tests including, specific air control testing, listening rooms and trajectography systems.
Contributors from Dassault Aviation, Thales and MBDA were present to monitor the completion of flight tests in real-time.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![US Air Force A-10s to exit South Korea in favour of fourth- and fifth-gen fighter jets]()
US Air Force A-10s to exit South Korea in favour of fourth- and fifth-gen fighter jets
The US Air Force will transition away from its ageing A-10 aircraft in 2025, in favour of updating and enhancing its F-16, and introducing F-15EX and F-35 Lightning II jets in the region.
-
![German Armed Forces receive first of 82 H145M helicopters]()
German Armed Forces receive first of 82 H145M helicopters
The H145s have been named “Leichter Kampfhubschrauber” (light combat helicopter), or LKH for short, by the German Armed Forces.
-
![US Air Force aiming to have CCA operational by end of the decade]()
US Air Force aiming to have CCA operational by end of the decade
By making “tough choices”, the US Air Force’s CCA programme has continued to move forward with Increment 2 on the horizon.
