Thales on board the Dassault Aviation Rafale

Mastering action in decisive moments

Air combat
Defence
Air

Thales is proud to collaborate with Dassault Aviation on the Rafale and to address the challenges faced by air forces operating in an ever-changing economic and strategic environment.

Rafale strengths

National Sovereignty

Resulting from strategic expertise, the Rafale is a state-of-the-art air combat system designed to ensure operational independence, an essential condition for security and deterrence against major threats.
Military Superiority

Designed from the outset as a true military superiority system, the Rafale is capable of ensuring air superiority, ground attack, nuclear deterrence, reconnaissance and even long-range power projection in a single mission.
Continuous Evolution

The versatility of the Rafale, combined with a continuous evolution capability thanks to regular updates, ensures that the countries operating it have a cutting-edge military tool adapted to contemporary and future threats.

Credentials

Numerous batches of Rafale fighters have been ordered by the French Armed Forces, covering a total of 234 aircraft for the French Air and Space Force and for the French Navy. Several export contracts have been signed with Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the UAE, Indonesia, Serbia.

In collaboration with Dassault Aviation, Thales helps make the Rafale a true force multiplier through equipment based on innovative technologies that provide it with unmatched proven combat capabilities.

Disruptive technologies on board the Rafale

Equipped with the AESA RBE2 (Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar), the Rafale benefits from an electronic scanned array and an active antenna, keys to the aircraft performance. This radar is the first in Europe to be operational and have demonstrated very high proficiency in several theatres.

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© Eric Raz - Erwan Barbey-Charriou – Thales

The SPECTRA (Self-Protection Equipment Countering Threats to Rafale Aircraft) electronic warfare suite is totally integrated into the Rafale. It is the basis of survivability in the face of the latest generation of air-to-air and ground-to-air threats.

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Unaffected by radar jamming and offering long-range detection, identification and passive and discreet tracking in the visible and infrared optronic spectrum, the Front Sector Optronics (FSO) is fully integrated into the aircraft and its weapons system, and undergo continuous development to overcome obsolescence and enhance performance.

The TALIOS (Targeting Long-range Identification Optronic System) pod gives the Rafale a day and night laser surveillance, identification and designation capability with metric precision. Interoperable with all laser-guided weapons, it can fire from a safe distance and also perform reconnaissance functions.

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The SCORPION® facilitates target acquisition and designation. It projects right in front of the eyes of the pilot and of the weapons system operator a symbology that considerably ameliorates the perception of the situation, especially outside the limits of the cockpit. This helmet allows simultaneous use of the helmet-mounted display and the night vision goggles.

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Designed and integrated by Dassault Aviation, developed and produced by Thales, the MDPU (“Modular Data Processing Unit”) modular computer fuses sensor data. This helps reduce the pilot's workload, increase his reactivity, and ultimately improve his understanding of the actual tactical situation.

Thanks to networked information sharing, the Rafale is totally connected to other players. This sharing, result of collaboration between Dassault Aviation and Thales, is achieved through an architecture and connectivity that enable simultaneous implementation with the other aircraft in its patrol, as well as with ground or airborne command centers, or any other organization.

Dassault Aviation has developed a particularly ergonomic man-machine interface for the Rafale, based on Thales visualisation tools. These provide the pilot with instantaneous tactical situational awareness and contribute to decision-making. The MMI solution includes the combined head-up / head-down display and side displays.

Thales and Sogitec, in conjunction with Dassault Aviation, are jointly developing training centre solutions for Rafale pilot training. The simulator cockpits recreate a realistic environment for pilots, who can then carry out individual or collective missions in a complex tactical environment.

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Force readiness

Various support and service offers dedicated to the Rafale are available reducing life cycle costs of maintaining equipment in operational condition over lifecycle and to increase operational availability.

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Key figures

25%

of the value of the platform represented by Thales electronics

534

Rafale aircraft ordered worldwide

Focus on solutions

Thanks to half a century of experience working to the benefit of air forces, Thales provide a series of radar, electronic warfare and electro-optics sensors, communication, navigation, identification equipment, and avionics for Rafale aircraft, including solutions for training and modernization programs for combat aircraft.