Key Points and Summary – The ‘Super Rafale’ (F5) is Dassault’s next leap: a Rafale optimized for Day-One operations, teaming with nEUROn loyal wingmen and protected by a new ‘self-defense bubble.’
-It adds Future Cruise and Future Anti-Ship Missiles, retains SCALP/Exocet options, and is slated to integrate the ASN4G hypersonic nuclear missile.
A French Dassault Rafale receives fuel from a KC-10 near Iraq, Oct. 26, 2016. The Dassault Rafale is a twin-engine, multi-role fighter equipped with diverse weapons to ensure its success as a omnirole aircraft. The Rafale has flown in combat missions in several countries including Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and now it’s supporting the liberation of Mosul in Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tyler Woodward)
-Upgrades include AESA radar, IRST, Talios/Reco NG targeting synergy, SCORPION HMD, and a software-centric Club Rafale architecture for faster sensor fusion and NATO interoperability.
-Designed as a bridge to France’s FCAS sixth-gen system, the F5 aims for service around 2030, stronger exports, and expanded electronic-warfare, suppression-of-air-defenses, and multi-role prowess. for NATO and partners.
What’s New About the Dassault ‘Super Rafale ’?
The French are rightfully proud of the Dassault Rafale, one of their Air Force’s best fighter jets. This airframe is an air superiority and multirole fighter that seeks to protect French sovereignty, conduct air policing to help NATO, and deter adversaries like Russia. It is also popular in the export market. But now the airplane will be even better with a new variant called the Super Rafale.
The French Want an Answer to the F-35 Lightning II
Could the Super Rafale be in the same class as the F-35?
That’s what the French have in mind as a measuring stick. This variant will be the crown jewel for Dassault Aviation and France’s air force since the base model Rafale already turns heads. Dassault is going for global dominance with the Super Rafale.
Enlarging the Dassault Export Landscape
Officially, the Super Rafale is known as the F5 model that will eclipse the current F4 variant. The French have looked on as the Americans acquired 19 partner countries that fly the Lightning II. The Rafale has been exported to eight allied air forces—mainly in the Middle East and Asia—and Dassault has recently scored a major deal with Indonesia. French engineers and designers aim to capture lightning in a bottle, showcasing national pride through their enhanced ingenuity and innovation.
(July 3, 2018) A French Dassault Rafale M Fighter touches down on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Harry S. Truman is currently deployed as part of an ongoing rotation of U.S. forces supporting maritime security operations in international waters around the globe. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Rebekah A. Watkins/Released)
Drone Quarterback for Loyal Wingmen
The French believe that the Super Rafale will be teamed with Loyal Wingman drones that will help dominate the battle space. The collaborative unmanned aircraft can improve firepower with more advanced weapons, collect intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data, and help jam and spoof enemy radar with new electronic warfare systems.
These Loyal Wingmen can also conduct battle damage assessment. The Rafale calls this autonomous unmanned combat craft the “nEUROn.”
New Weapons Will Breathe Life Into the French Air Force
The Super Rafale will have a unique survivability system, dubbed the “self-defense bubble,” that will protect the airplane and allied assets. The F4 Rafale has always relied on the Exocet anti-ship missile and the SCALP/ Storm Shadow, air-launched cruise missile.
There are fine weapons that have served the Rafale well, but the French want something better for the Super Rafale. There will now be the Future Cruise Missile (FCM) and Future Anti-Ship Missile (FASM). The airplane will carry 9.5 tons of ordnance across 14 hardpoints.
“Dassault is also focusing on improving the aircraft’s targeting systems. By combining the capabilities of the Talios and Reco NG targeting pods, the Super Rafale will offer enhanced precision for both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions. This update is essential for keeping pace with the F-35’s advanced electro-optical targeting system and stealth capabilities,” according to BulgarianMilitary.com.
MACH 5+ Nuclear Weapons Delivery
The Super Rafale will also have the nuclear option to become a better strategic airplane. There are plans for it to integrate the next-generation ASN4G hypersonic nuclear missile. This will give the French a more robust and powerful tool for improved nuclear weapon delivery.
Moreover, the Super Rafale will become part of something that will be a considerable departure from the base model Rafale. The French envision a system they call “Club Rafale,” which brings an updatable software system with sensor fusion and a new outlook on how the airplane is used strategically, operationally, and tactically. Club Rafale means better integration and interoperability with NATO partners that fly different fighters such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and the JAS 39 Gripen.
The Rafale is not new. The first prototype flew in the late 1980s, with production continuing into the early to mid-1990s. The French installed the improved SNECMA M-88 engine to replace the American GE F404 engine. The Rafale entered full-time service in 2000.
The Super Rafale will have advanced AESA radar and infrared search and track systems. This provides passive day/night detection and the ability to track stealthy airplanes. The cockpit will be more pilot-friendly with the Thales SCORPION helmet-mounted sight.
One of the main jobs for the Super Rafale is to suppress enemy air defenses. This makes it a multirole or omnirole fighter for service during Day One of warfare. Remember, the nuclear weapon capability is what makes the Super Rafale so valuable. This strategic option is a memorable addition to the air force and the entire deterrence strategy of the French military.
The new nuclear weapons will replace the older ASMPA nuclear projectiles. Now nuclear warheads will be mated with hypersonic weapons, and this places the Super Rafale in rare company, adding to the Super Rafale’s fifth-generation flavor.
The Super Rafale will serve as a bridge to the Future Combat Air System sixth-generation airplane. The “Super” will be built next year and will enter active duty for the French air force in 2030 to serve well into the 2040s.
Bottomline on Super Dassault Rafale
The French are rightfully excited about the Super Rafale. They will assuredly have interest from more international buyers. I like the nuclear-tipped hypersonic missile that will make Russia take notice. The Super Rafale will also be an excellent addition to the NATO fleet.
The Loyal Wingman concept is important for future warfare. The fifth-generation qualities do not make it better than the stealth F-35, but France can say that the improvements result in a muscular flagship fighter for the air force. Watch closely as the Super Rafale comes online in the coming years. This aircraft has the potential to become the best fighter jet in Europe.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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Abdul M
September 21, 2025 at 11:29 am
Weren’t a pair of Rafales shot down by second tier Chinese Jets from 150km away and they didn’t even see the missiles coming or the radar lock? Over-rated planes, useless in the next generation air battles.