Dassault (hall 2A) is exhibiting a French air force Rafale fighter with TDA 68mm rocket pods, providing a glimpse of a possible future equipment fit for operations in Afghanistan.
Three F2 production standard Rafales returned from Kandahar airfield last month after completing a four-month deployment - the third of its kind to the Afghanistan theatre since 2007.
"We are very happy from the third time we are in this environment," says Jean-Marc Gasparini, Dassault's vice-president military aircraft programmes. "NATO standards are evolving, so we have some adjustments to make. But there were no big technical issues."
A new software standard will be delivered before year-end, he says, with this including an air-to-ground gunnery mode - a valuable weapon in the close air support role. "Afghanistan is a very interesting test field, but they are performing an operational mission. We must not give them things that are not adapted for this context," he says.
Early test work has already been conducted with the new rocket pod fit, which uses the aircraft's third under-wing weapons station. "There is still a job to do," says Gasparini. "We are very imaginative, and we are trying to listen to our customer."
Dassault should receive a contract for around 60 F4-standard Rafales before year-end, and still expects to produce just under 300 for the French air force and navy over the life of the programme.
"Today the situation is very positive," says Gasparini. "Tranche 4 will give us five to eight years of visibility. It gives us a safe position, and puts us in the best position to enter the export market."
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Source: Flight Daily News
