France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) has received the Rafale B374 at its flight-test centre, giving the agency its own aircraft for testing future upgrades. The jet is intended to serve as a flying laboratory for the Rafale F5 and will not be used for operational missions.
The B374 is the 73rd and final aircraft from Dassault Aviation’s fourth production tranche, ordered in 2021. It has been delivered in the F4.1 configuration, which is currently in service. Once the new test aircraft is available, the DGA plans to return the Rafale B348, which the Air and Space Force has loaned to it over an extended period.
A test aircraft is fitted with measurement equipment, data recorders and a link to teams monitoring trials from the ground. The B374 will allow engineers to assess equipment, software and procedures in flight before potential use on operational squadron aircraft. The DGA first plans to install removable test equipment to support development of the current F4 standard.
A more extensive modification is planned at Dassault Aviation around the second quarter of 2027. It will provide the aircraft with the interfaces needed for permanent, full-flight instrumentation. The B374 is expected to return to the test fleet in 2028, equipped with an experimental software version of its onboard information-processing system and ready to support work on future F5 sensors.
Among the systems the DGA has identified for testing is the RBE2 XG next-generation radar, which remains under development. Rafale aircraft currently use the RBE2 AESA radar, fitted as standard since 2012.
The F5 standard is also intended to support operations alongside combat drones and incorporate artificial intelligence capabilities. Dassault Aviation is targeting entry into service for the Rafale F5 between 2033 and 2035, according to its chief executive, Éric Trappier.
Sources: Numerama.