Dassault Rafale Fighter Has a New Weapon: A Stealth Drone It Can Control

What You Need to Know: Dassault Aviation announced the development of an unmanned aerial combat vehicle (UACV) to serve as a "loyal wingman" for its Rafale F5 omni-role jet fighter. Revealed during the 60th anniversary of the French Strategic Air Forces, the stealth combat drone will be operated directly from the Rafale cockpit and is expected to enter service in the early 2030s.

-The UACV will incorporate technology from the earlier nEUROn program, Europe's first stealth drone demonstrator.

-In addition to the drone, the Rafale F5 will carry the future ASN4G nuclear missile, showcasing France's commitment to advancing its airborne nuclear deterrence and collaborative combat capabilities.

French Begins Loyal Wingman Program for Rafale F5

Dassault Aviation is now developing an unmanned aerial combat vehicle (UACV) to serve as a "loyal wingman" for its Rafale omni-role jet fighter. The program was announced in a social media post on Tuesday.

The armed drone, which will support the Rafale F5 standard aircraft, could enter service in the early 2030s, the aviation firm announced during the 60th-anniversary ceremony of the French Strategic Air Forces (FAS).

"At the Saint-Dizier air base 113 for the 60th anniversary of the Strategic Air Forces, @SebLecornu announced a major development for French airborne nuclear deterrence: the new standard of the Rafale, the F5, which will carry the future ASN4G nuclear missile. The minister also announced the launch of the stealth combat drone program, which will be operated directly from the cockpit of the Rafale," the French Armed Forces Ministry said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

According to Dassault Aviation, the drone is being designed to be "complementary to the Rafale" while also optimized for use in "collaborative combat." The UACV will utilize stealth technology including internal payload capacity to ensure low radar signature – much like fifth-generation stealth fighters. It will also employ autonomous functionality, but "with man-in-the-loop" options, to ensure that the loyal wingman will indeed remain loyal.

"It will be highly versatile and designed to evolve in line with future threats," the company further emphasized.

In With The nEUROn

The still yet-to-be-designated UACV will employ technology developed for the "nEUROn" program, the first stealth UACV demonstrator produced in Europe. That program began in 2003, and was managed by Dassault while featuring the "aeronautics resources of six European countries." Partner firms included the Italian-based Leonardo, which developed the internal weapons bay, France's Airbus providing its experience with wings, and Sweden's Saab designing the main fuselage.

The nEUROn drone took its first flight in December 2012 and has conducted more than 170 further test flights since. "The nEUROn program has lived up to all its promises in terms of performance levels, lead times and budget," the aerospace firm noted.

More Advanced Rafale

While France is a partner on the joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS) with Germany and Spain, Paris has also signaled its continued support for the Dassault Rafale. Though the French military is also looking towards the future sixth-generation fighter that will be developed as part of the FCAS program, Dassault is also enhancing the capabilities of the omni-role Rafale with its future F5 standard.

The Rafale was originally developed to replace seven aircraft types for the French military.

According to Defense News, the enhanced aircraft will carry the future ASN4G nuclear missile. The French Air Force received its first Rafale fighters "upgraded to the F4 standard" in March 2023.

There has been a surge of interest in the Rafale in recent years, and it Dassault has found customers for the 4.5+ generation fighter in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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