Military Watch Magazine
North America, Western Europe and Oceania , Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft
France Prioritises Rafale F5 Upgrades: Why They Aren’t Enough to Keep the Fighter Viable
The French defence sector has accelerated development of the Rafale F5 following the effective collapse of the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS) next generation fighter program that had been intended to provide a peer competitor to the U.S. F-35. The decision is set to make the Rafale F5 considerably more important to French air power than originally envisaged, with the aircraft now expected to provide a high-end combat capability well into the 2030s. This occurs at a time when the future of the country’s combat aviation sector beyond the fourth generation is considered increasingly uncertain.
Rafale Fighter
