The French air force has taken delivery of its first single-seat Rafale C fighter in the enhanced F2 software configuration, marking a key step towards its frontline operation of the type from September 2006.
Accepted on 3 June from Dassault's Merignac manufacturing site, the aircraft - C102 - has been delivered to the air force's flight evaluation centre at Mont-de-Marsan, where it joins four two-seat Rafale Bs in supporting pilot conversion activities.
Development testing of the F2 software standard, which introduces air-to-surface weapons and a Link 16 datalink to the Rafale airframe, continues at Dassault's Istres flight test centre near Marseille and at the air force's Cazaux test centre. The air force's previous one single-seat Rafale, the F1-standard C101, is assigned to flight test activities at Istres. The air force has so far ordered 82 of its planned future fleet of 234 Rafale C/Bs and will receive a further nine examples this year.
Source: Flight Daily News
