France steps up: Rafale jets offered to Canada, Portugal
The French company Dassault Aviation offers Canada and Portugal Rafale jets as an alternative to American F-35s. We present the performance of these European machines.
The French company Dassault Aviation is ready to offer its Rafale fighters to countries that have halted the purchase of F-35A. As stated in an interview for Le Journal du Dimanche by Dassault Aviation’s CEO Éric Trappier, his company is ready to cooperate with countries that have opted out of the American jets.
The offensive of the French defense industry
Trappier noted that although Portugal has not yet approached France about the purchase, such a request may appear in the coming weeks or months. “But we really want to offer our aircraft to Portugal, an EU and NATO country. It would have the same interoperability capabilities as we do within the Alliance, so it seems logical,” he said.
This is part of a broader effort by the French defence industry in light of the disturbances caused by the current American administration under Donald Trump. The initiative is strongly supported by, among others, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
Rafale — Europe's multi-role machine
Rafale is a multi-role fighter jet produced by the French company Dassault Aviation. It is currently one of the most advanced combat machines in the world. Rafale can perform various tasks, such as gaining air superiority, attacking land or naval targets, and conducting nuclear strikes.
Work on this aircraft began in the 1980s, and the prototype's first flight took place in 1986. The fighter entered service in 2001 and is available in three variants: the single-seat Rafale C, the two-seat Rafale B, and the carrier-based Rafale M.
The aircraft can carry over 9,000 kilograms of armament. This includes long-range air-to-air Meteor missiles, short/medium-range air-to-air MICA missiles, anti-ship AM 39-Exocet, Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles, guided bombs AASM Hammer, and ASMP-A with a thermonuclear warhead.
