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Dassault Rafale

Also known as Dassault Breguet Rafale

French multi-role combat aircraft

AI overview

The Dassault Rafale is a fighter jet built by France that can perform multiple types of combat missions, from air-to-air combat to striking targets on the ground. It serves as a key aircraft for the French military and has been sold to several other countries, making it an important part of modern military aviation.

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Wikidata facts

Official website: www.dassault-aviation.com/en/defense/rafale/introduction
Image: Rafale - RIAT 2009 (3751416421).jpg
Height: 5.34
Length: 15.27

Show 9 more facts

wing area: 45.7
Commons gallery: Dassault Rafale
wingspan: 10.86
Commons category: Dassault Rafale
first flight: 1991-05-19
service entry: 2002-00-00
maximum operating altitude: 16750
total produced: 253
vehicle range: 1850

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Article

The Dassault Rafale ( French: [ʁafal], literally meaning "gust of wind", or "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. It is referred to as an "omnirole" aircraft by Dassault.

In the late 1970s, the French Air Force and French Navy sought to replace and consolidate their existing fleets of aircraft. In order to reduce development costs and boost prospective sales, France entered into an arrangement with the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain to produce an agile multi-purpose "Future European Fighter Aircraft" (which would become the Eurofighter Typhoon). Subsequent disagreements over workshare and differing requirements led France to pursue its own development programme. Dassault built a technology demonstrator that first flew in July 1986 as part of an eight-year flight-test programme, paving the way for approval of the project.