Today, Jean-Marc Tanguy
learned us that the Armée de l'Air is experimenting single-pilot procedures for the GBU-24 with the Rafale.
This work should be finalized in the coming days.
While some questioned the weapons integration works on Rafale, several articles in previous months revealed that GBU-49, AM-39, and GBU-24 integration were in fact quite advanced...
So, both GBU should be in service or will be in a few days, and we are still waiting for the qualification firing of AM-39.
Meanwhile, the Armée de l'Air talks about the first evaluation firing of the ASMP-A by a Rafale, after a 5 hours long flight, refueling, terrain following, etc. Successful, of course.
It is worth considering that while our first nuclear strike aircraft relied on 30 minutes of Mach 2 cruise to succeed, Mirage 2000N relied on terrain following, and Rafale improves this with a credible self-defence capability : while carrying its ASMP-A, Rafale still brings 6 Mica.
