By Florence Loeve
PARIS (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday said he had signed a letter of intent with France to acquire up to 100 Rafale F4 fighter jets as his country looks to strengthen its defences against Russian aggression.
The order sent shares of French defence group Dassault soaring.
WHAT IS THE RAFALE?
The Rafale is a twin-jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. The French group defines it as “omnirole”, able to carry out missions including in-depth strikes, nuclear deterrence, reconnaissance and anti-ship strikes.
It comes in three variants: a single-seater and a two-seater model flown from land bases, as well as a single-seater designed for aircraft carrier operations.
Rafale – French for a gust of wind and a burst of gunfire – first became operational with the French navy in 2004 and the French air force two years later. It has been upgraded several times, with its latest version, the “Standard F5” due in 2030.
WHERE HAS THE RAFALE BEEN USED?
The Rafale has been a commercial success for Dassault which announced in October the delivery of its 300th Rafale. According to the aircraft maker, it has received 533 firm orders from France and foreign governments. Export deliveries began in 2015 to Egypt.
The aircraft has seen combat in Afghanistan, Mali, Libya, Iraq and Syria. Pakistan shot down at least one Indian-owned Rafale in May, Reuters reported, in a blow to the aircraft’s reputation.
WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE BOUGHT THE RAFALE?
Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Serbia have bought Rafale aircraft along with India and Egypt. Among the most important orders was the one from the UAE in 2021 for 80 Rafale F4.
WHAT ARE ITS SPECIFICATIONS?
The Rafale is over 15 metres long with an almost 11-metre wing span, and an overall empty weight of 10 tonnes.
It is capable of flying at up to 50,000 feet (15,240m) and has a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 (1,381 miles per hour).
The French military has the ability to use its Rafale to carry nuclear-capable cruise missiles.
(Reporting by Florence Loeve; Editing by Richard Lough and Ed Osmond)
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