French Rafale F3R boasts new Meteor “game-changer” missile

[The SC]

on 5th March 2021
Image : Armee de l’Air et de l’Espace


The F3R Standard of the Dassault Rafale fighter jet reached another milestone with the integration of the Meteor missile.

Developed by MBDA within the framework of cooperation involving France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Spain, and Germany, the Meteor is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. The weapon has a range of over 150 kilometers (90 miles) and can reach Mach 4 speed.

The French Air Force can now count on what it describes as a “game-changer.” On March 4, 2021, it announced that it carried out the first operational flight with a Rafale equipped with combat-ready Meteor missiles.

“This flight made it possible to validate the process of routing ammunition depots to the armament zone, then to validate the know-how during a first deployment of the missile by the armorers, and to confirm the operational readiness of the crews,” the Air Force explained on Twitter. The Meteor was first introduced by Sweden on the JAS 39 Gripen in April 2016. It should eventually equip the Eurofighter Typhoon fighters of the other partner countries.

The Rafale F3R did not wait for the Meteor missile to have its baptism by fire. In September 2020, a patrol of two fighter jets was called to carry out a strike of opportunity against a position of the so-called Islamic State, neutralizing several insurgents with laser-guided bombs.

In addition to the missile, the F3R Standard comprises several other upgrades, including the RBE2 AESA radar system and the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite. The French Air Force’s backbone aircraft can also carry the TALIOS designation pod, developed by Thales, which increases the detection and identification capabilities of land targets in any conditions. The pod was used for the first time in November 2020.

One step ahead

Dassault Aviation is already working on the following upgrade to the capacity of the Rafale. On January 14, 2019, the French Ministry of Armed Forces contracted the development of the F4 Standard which will focus on improving the connectivity of the Rafale with other systems through “new satellite and intra-patrol links, communication server, software radio.” Thus, the fighter will be able to integrate into the Future Combat Air System that France, Germany, and Spain are conjointly developing.


https://www.aerotime.aero/27407-french-rafale-f3r-boasts-new-meteor-game-changer-missile


@Gomig-21

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Is F3R the version Greece gets? If so AESA + ramjet BVR gives Greece a decisive advantage over 90s era Turkish F-16C in the Aegean.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

Is F3R the version Greece gets? If so AESA + ramjet BVR gives Greece a decisive advantage over 90s era Turkish F-16C in the Aegean.

I believe all turkish f16s are block 50/52 standard.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

I believe all turkish f16s are block 50/52 standard.

Block 50 is 90s era block. It has mechanical radar. Only Block 60 / 70 have AESA.

 

[Mohamed Bin Tughlaq]

Rafale is overrated on this board. It is inferior to F-16 and F-15E

 

[crankthatskunk]

Rafale is overrated on this board. It is inferior to F-16 and F-15E

Nope, you are wrong.

Your statement was true, before Indians acquired it.
After acquisition by India , it is a world beater.
Better than any aircraft ever produced.

You Sir, should correct your statement immediately. Before you catch the irk of the Indians.

 

[Fus Ro Dah]

Meteor is truly a Godly weapon.

Even British think tank RUSI admitted that Meteor is superior to Chinese PL-15.

 

[MirageBlue]

It won't be long before we start seeing the Meteor onboard IAF Rafales as well..last year an urgent shipment of MBDA weapons including Meteor and SCALP was transferred from French stocks to India. Now that the Adl'A has completed the first operational mission with Meteor BVRAAMs, the IAF will follow suit.

 

[alphapak]

Indians have gone quiet over the Raptor of the East SU30 MKI since Feb 2019,
now the new God is the Rafale with Meteor.

 

[IceCold]

Meteor is truly a Godly weapon.

 

[GHALIB]

good news

 

[xyxmt]

Meteor is truly a Godly weapon.

Even British think tank RUSI admitted that Meteor is superior to Chinese PL-15.

yes a 150 km range missile is always superior to 200 - 300 km range missile....pay attention to 200 to 300 km, never disclose the true range so abhi can keep guessing

 

[MirageBlue]

Indians have gone quiet over the Raptor of the East SU30 MKI since Feb 2019,
now the new God is the Rafale with Meteor.

Na, it is still the big boy of the IAF in sheer numbers and overall technology which completely will overwhelm the non- AMRAAM equipped fleet of the PAF.

What's changed is that the 100km + range Astra Mk1 is integrated and the next big thing for the Su-30MKI. 5 were supplied as part of the first limited series production supplied to the IAF in 2020. A bigger lot will come this year.

Dual pulse Astra Mk2 with 150 km + range after that, it's due to be tested in 2021 itself. And with Astra Mk3 with SFDR tech, there'll be an indigenous Meteor equivalent in a few years' time.

And it's obvious that with the Rafale coming in with it's AESA RBE-2, Spectra and Meteor plus MICA RF and IR, it's better equipped than the current Su-30MKI is.

 

[waz]

Na, it is still the big boy of the IAF in sheer numbers and overall technology which completely will overwhelm the non- AMRAAM equipped fleet of the PAF

The PAF is equipped with AMRAAM.
The PL-15 will engage the IAF far further.

Meteor is truly a Godly weapon.

Even British think tank RUSI admitted that Meteor is superior to Chinese PL-15.

Can you find the reference. Here is the publication;

Chinese and Russian air-launched weapons: a test for Western air dominance

Stay one step ahead of world defence trends with The Military Balance 2018, the essential resource for those in security policymaking, analysis and research.

www.iiss.org

 

[Ali_Baba]

Meteor is truly a Godly weapon.

Even British think tank RUSI admitted that Meteor is superior to Chinese PL-15.

Thankfully Indians will be operating it with their operational doctrines, so nothing for PAF to worry about...

Honestly, PAF saw off this crap with the Raptor of the East was inducted and we get the same for the Meteor now...