What Happened
French Air Force Modernizes Combat Aircraft with Stealth Data Link
France has awarded initial contracts to Dassault Aviation, MBDA, Safran, and Thales for the development of the Rafale F5, a major mid-life modernization of the Rafale fleet. The upgrade will include new navigation, radar, communications, electronic warfare, and propulsion technologies, as well as the integration of the future ASN4G nuclear missile. The F5 standard is expected to qualify around 2033 and enter service with the French Air and Space Force and later the French Navy. The investment is part of France’s policy to modernize the Rafale through successive standards, as reported by Defence Industry Europe.