Article Summary – Ukraine’s deal to buy up to 100 French Rafale fighters is a major upgrade from aging Soviet MiG-29s, bringing modern sensors, weapons, and true multirole punch.
-But it also locks Kyiv into a non-stealth platform at a moment when Russia is pushing Su-57s, long-range missiles, and denser air defenses.
Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and two Dassault Rafales assigned to the 1/4 Gascogne Fighter Squadron, 113 Saint-Dizier-Robinson air base, France, break formation during flight May 18, 2021 over France. The flight was apart of the Atlantic Trident 21 exercise which is a joint, multinational exercise involving service members from the U.S., France and the U.K., and is aimed at enhancing fourth and fifth generation integration, combat readiness and fighting capabilities, through conducting complex air operations in a contested multinational joint force environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander Cook)
A joint test team including the Flight Test Division of the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA/EV), the French Naval Aeronautics Experimentation Center (CEPA/10S), and the U.S. Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 are leading flight tests that will enable the French fighter jet Dassault Rafale to aerial refuel with naval aviation’s F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. The tanker qualification partnership paves the way for an extended reach and enhanced interoperability for allied airpower. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt) Erik_Hildebrandt
-The Rafale’s combat record is strong, yet recent poor showings against Chinese-made J-10s armed with PL-15s underscore how exposed 4.5-generation jets can be in a BVR fight.
-For Ukraine, the Rafale is both a badly needed boost—and a reminder that future air combat will be won by stealth.
Dassault Rafale Purchase Is a Mixed Blessing for Ukraine (Because of the Lack of Stealth)
The Good News for Ukraine: Kyiv recently signed a deal to purchase French-made Dassault Rafale fighter jets, which, like the American-made Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon (AKA the “Viper”), will tremendously boost that embattled nation’s air force in its seemingly never-ending fight for survival against Russian aggression after mostly relying upon Cold War-vintage, Soviet-made fighters like the MiG-29 (NATO reporting name “Fulcrum“).
The Bad News for Ukraine: The Rafale may be a mixed blessing, especially given its lack of stealth.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
On November 17, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a letter of intent that lays the groundwork for Kyiv’s purchase of up to 100 Rafales, along with relevant weapons for use on the Rafale, likely including more SCALP missiles, AASM Hammer glide bombs, and air-to-air missiles.
For good measure, the package deal also includes SAMP/T air defense batteries and UAVs.
Dassault Rafale Fighter in India. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
As noted by Kai Greet in an article for The Aviatonist titled “Ukraine and France Sign Deal for Potential Supply of 100 Rafale Fighters, “the respective Presidents of Ukraine and France embraced with a hug [a trifle redundant there?] after signing their names on the printed agreements…Initial deliveries are not expected to arrive until at least 2029, with the full fleet in service by 2035 – presumably with the hope that the present conflict with Russia will have ceased by this point.”
The ceremony took place at Vélizy–Villacoublay Air Base.
Dassault Rafale Virtues for Ukraine
The Dassault Rafale (which has been manufactured since 1986 and first attained operational status via French Naval Aviation [Aéronavale] in 2001) is a top-notch 4.5 Generation fighter jet.
For one thing, it is highly maneuverable and agile. Though not as sophisticated as a 5th Generation stealth fighter, Defence Aviation notes that the Rafale has an advanced tracking system capable of detecting and tracking the F-22 Raptor during mock drills.
It has an impressive rate of climb, to the tune of 60,000 feet per minute (304.8 meters per second).
The plane has a max airspeed of 1,912 km/h (1,188 mph; 1,032 kn; Mach 1.8), a supercruise speed of Mach 1.4, a combat range of 1,850 kilometers (1,150 statute miles, 1,000 nautical miles), and a service ceiling of 15,835 meters (51,952 feet).
As might be expected of a fighter jet, it’s also quite well armed, with an arsenal consisting of:
–30mm GIAT 30/M791 autocannon with 125 rounds of ammunition
-14 external hardpoints with a carrying capacity of 9,500 kilograms (20,900 pounds) external fuel and ordnance, including (but not limited to):
–MICA (Missile d’Interception, de Combat et d’Auto-défense), Meteor, and Magic II air-to-air missiles
-GBU-12 Paveway II, GBU-16 Paveway II, GBU-22 Paveway III, GBU-24 Paveway III, GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II laser-guided bombs
-MBDA AM 39-Exocet anti-ship missiles
Moreover, the platform has substantial real-world combat experience, having been “blooded” in operations in Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria, where the warbird performed quite well in strikes against ground targets.
Dassault Rafale Vices for Ukraine
The overall excellence of the Rafale notwithstanding, it’s definitely not without its weaknesses (as is true of any man-made object).
As already noted, it lacks true stealth capability (as does the F-16). Now, mind you, the Russian Federation hasn’t yet used its own stealth fighter, the vaunted Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon,” in air-to-air combat against the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Povitryani syly Zbroynykh syl Ukrayiny [PS ZSU])—and for that matter, has only used the “Felon” rather sparingly in the air-to-ground combat role—but one cannot dismiss offhand the possibility that the Russians will eventually start using their Su-57s for that purpose sooner or later (assuming U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to negotiate an end to the conflict continue to fail to bear fruit).
Moreover, if the Su-75 “Checkmate” ever actually goes operational, that would conceivably give Putin’s pilots a double-whammy advantage against Ukraine’s non-stealth fighter fleet.)
Indeed, the aforementioned air-to-ground engagements in Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan notwithstanding, the Rafale recently turned in a rather inauspicious air-to-air combat performance against a non-stealth-armed adversary.
During Operation Sindoor, the latest Indo-Pakistani conflict (which took place from 7 to May 10, 2025), Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale pilots were absolutely embarrassed by their Pakistani Air Force (PAF) adversaries, who were flying 4th Generation Chinese-made Chengdu J-10 Menglong (“Vigorous Dragon;” NATO reporting name “Firebird”); reportedly, the PAF Firebird drivers, using PL-15 (“Thunderbolt-15”, NATO reporting name: CH-AA-10 Abaddon) air-to-air missiles shot down at least one and as many as three Rafales without losses to themselves.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
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