Two of Egypt’s French-made Dassault Rafale fighter jets were spotted at Bod Bordeaux International Airport before their eventual delivery by local spotters.

XL Aviation Spotters captured the take-off of Egypt’s Rafale fighters, designated DM18 and DM19, for flight tests before delivery. Egypt ordered 30 Rafale fighters in 2021 to add to its existing fleet of 24 jets as the first export customer.

The Rafale fighters to be delivered are in the F3R configuration preceding the newest F4.1 configuration, which is being delivered to the French Air and Space Force.

Another new fighter jet acquisition by Egypt is the J-10C fighter from China to replace the ageing F-16 fighters that Egypt opted not to upgrade. This marks a continuation of Egypt's tradition of keeping an unusually diverse fighter fleet.

Rafale F3R and Future Upgrades

The Rafale F3R is an extensive upgrade of the Rafale family, incorporating the RBE2 AESA radar, integration of Meteor ramjet-powered BVRAAMs, and an updated onboard electronic warfare system. Rafale fighters in F3R standard are in service with France and various export customers, including Croatia, Greece and India.

France has recently introduced the new F4.1 standard introducing SAR/GMTI capability for the RBE2 radar, new IRST system, and the integration of MICA NG air-to-air missiles (MICA RF NG with AESA radar seeker and MICA IR NG with improved IIR seeker).

Additionally, the F5 standard’s development has been launched, aiming to introduce AI-based capabilities such as MUM-T with the future unmanned combat aircraft and AI assistance to reduce the workload and quicken the reactions of the pilot.

It has been suggested in French circles that Rafale F5 needs new methods of sensing against low-observable targets, such as more powerful RF-based passive detection systems and MIMO capability for radars to operate as one. 

Author: Kaan Azman

Editor: Özgür Ekşi