Paris, Sept. 14 – France has awarded early Rafale F5 contracts to Dassault Aviation, MBDA, Safran and Thales for technologies supporting the ASN4G nuclear missile, a new radar, stealth data link and a 20 percent increase in engine thrust. The DGA placed the initial work ahead of the main development phase planned for late 2026, covering navigation, radar, communications, electronic warfare and propulsion upgrades for the combat aircraft. The Rafale F5 standard constitutes a major mid-life modernisation expected to qualify around 2033 before entering service with the French Air and Space Force and later the French Navy.
The upgrade will support renewal of France’s airborne nuclear deterrent through integration of the future ASN4G missile while preparing the Rafale for first-entry missions in contested operational environments. A more open aircraft architecture will enable faster adaptation of the mission system as threats evolve and will give the armed forces greater operational autonomy. Dassault Aviation will oversee a very-low-drift inertial navigation unit using hemispherical resonator gyroscope technology as one of several risk-reduction components ordered by the DGA.
Thales will develop the Inter-Vehicle Data Link, a stealthy and resilient high-bandwidth communications system designed to resist jamming between aircraft in hostile airspace. The F5 will also receive Thales’ RBE2-XG electronically scanned radar, offering higher power, longer detection range, improved identification of low-observable targets and greater use of artificial intelligence while retaining current dimensions and stronger cyber resilience. Thales and MBDA France will modernise the SPECTRA self-protection suite into a fully digital system with improved threat detection and jamming across a broader electromagnetic spectrum.
Safran Aircraft Engines has a contract for the preliminary design of the M88 T-REX engine, intended to raise maximum thrust by 20 percent from 7.5 tonnes to 9 tonnes. The T-REX retains the M88-2 modular architecture, basic structure and low fuel consumption, with selected module changes allowing component replacement without removing the entire engine. These Rafale F5 contracts form part of France’s successive-standard modernisation policy, involving more than 400 companies and over 7,000 jobs while preserving operational performance and export appeal for eight foreign customers that have ordered 299 new and 24 second-hand aircraft.