The F5 iteration of the Rafale combat aircraft will operate alongside stealthy ‘loyal wingmen', as illustrated in this image showing a nEUROn technology demonstrator unmanned combat aerial vehicle. (Dassault)
France has formally launched development of the F5 standard of the Dassault Rafale combat aircraft, with the country's defence minister announcing the milestone on 8 October.
Launching the development via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Sébastien Lecornu said that the new standard aircraft will carry the currently developmental ASN4G nuclear missile and will be able to operate in concert with a new low-observable ‘loyal wingman'.
“The modernisation of the Rafale to the F5 standard will be a revolution for the conventional missions of our [armed forces] and for our nuclear deterrence,” he said.
As Lecornu noted, the F5 standard will be rolled out to operational French Air and Space Force squadrons from 2030.
Further to the nuclear mission and the ‘stealthy' unmanned adjunct announced by the minister, Janes has previously reported that the F5 standard Rafale will add greater connectivity, new weapons and sensors, artificial intelligence, and hypersonic technologies (although it will not be a hypersonic platform), and an extended airframe life package.
News of the launch of the F5 standard came months after France ordered an additional 42 Rafales in January. The EUR5 billion (USD5.4 billion at the time) investment came from the Military Programming Law (LPM) 2019–25 budget, with this announcement representing the fifth procurement tranche for the Rafale placed by the French Ministry of Armed Forces since 1993. The first of these new F5-standard aircraft will be delivered from 2027.
For more information on the Rafale, please see France to stand up new Rafale wing, squadron .
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