2012 Rafale planing

Below are a few dates to remember


March 26 - April 6
Serpentex exercise, Solenzara / France

March 30 to May 3
Gulf exercice, UAE,. 6 Rafale and 3 Mirage 2000-5

May 26 - June 23
Mapple Flag exercice, Cold Lake / Canada (Rafale presence not confirmed)


May 28 - June 8
NATO Tiger Meet exercice, Norway

June 2-3
Mont-de-Marsan Air show


September 
Normandie Niemen squadron 70th anniversary
GBU-24 operational on Rafale F3
Rafale F3.3 standard operational (Air to ground  targetting and L16 enhancements)

November
The 4 spheres of the Rafale simulation center get new functionalities (ASMP-A, AM-39 Exocet, Reco-NG and GBU)

Source: Air Actualites

Captain Merouze, First female Rafale pilot

©French Air Force

Defense journalist Jean-Marc Tanguy reports that the very first female Rafale pilot is about to perform her first solo flight on Rafale in a few days. Captain Claire Merouze, 26, is affected to the 01.007 Provence squadron and already logs 5 flights with instructors on Rafale B.

Also read : www.defense.gouv.fr (in french)

RAF N°3 squadron meets French Air Force Provence squadron

2 Eurofighter Typhoon from the RAF N°3 squadron visited the French Air Force Base of St Dizier from March 2 to 5.
The purpose of the meeting was to initiate cultural exchanges between the two squadrons as per the June 2010 Lancaster House treaty: Before the end of 2012 Rafale and Typhoon Pilots will fly their conterpart's fighter jet in order to improve their mutual knowledge on each machine (weapon system and training).
source: www.defense.gouv.fr

 

Rafale pictures of the day

©fanavation.free.fr

 The crop of month from FoxAlpha !

©Reno62

©Reno62

©fanavation.free.fr

MMRCA, France 24 report

According to France24 journalist, the Indian public and press response to the Rafale selection has been very positive so far. The selection process is also seen as very clean with few political interference and no corruption issue.

DGA, a Rafale M loan to UK would be possible

During the DGA annual result press conference on Tuesday February 22, Laurent Collet-Billon, head of the French defense procurement agency said :

[...] "If one day we have to lend Rafale Ms to the Royal Navy, why not? Personally, I’d find that very pleasing " [...]

As the carrier version of the F-35 is facing unexpected technical difficulties (arresting hook issue) the British forces would seek interim solutions involving the F-18 or the Rafale M fighter jets.
Several British pilots are also involved in a training program to fly French Navy Rafale in order to maintain some core carrier operations competencies until the British aircraft carriers are operational.

Source : www.defense-aerospace.com

UAE, Rafale deal technical and financial terms finalized

This week Air & Cosmos magazine confirms that all the technical and financials terms of the Rafale sale to the UAE have been settled.
The contract signature would now, only depend on a state to state defense agreement.

Earlier this month, the National was quoting Maj Gen Khalid Al Buainnain, former commander of the UAE Air Force :

"The technical and financial and contractual discussions have been completely finished. We're … working out how we can smooth out this contract."