France awards first Rafale F5 contracts
A representative F5-standard Rafale was showcased at the Paris Airshow 2025. France has now launched the industrial effort to field the capability in the early 2030s. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
France has contracted industry to begin work on the F5 standard of the Dassault Rafale combat aircraft, with the country's Directorate General of Armament (Direction Générale de l'Armement: DGA) announcing the milestone on 9 September.
The award of the first industrial contracts came two years after former defence minister Sébastien Lecornu declared the formal launch of the Rafale F5 effort in October 2024.
“The DGA orders the first upstream works ahead of the next launch for the implementation of the Rafale F5 standard. They concern in particular the inertial [navigation] unit, the engine, the radar, [and] the aircraft's self-protection suite,” the DGA said. As noted by the agency, awards have been granted to Dassault, MBDA, Safran and Thales, though no values were disclosed.
The Rafale F5 standard is planned to accommodate greater connectivity, new weapons (including a dedicated suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD)/destruction of enemy air defences (DEAD) capability based on the MBDA Stratus Rapid Strike [RS] missile) and sensors, the new Air-Sol Nucléaire de Quatrième Génération (ASN4G) nuclear missile, artificial intelligence, and an extended airframe life package. Other specific F5 enhancements recently set out by officials comprise upgraded Safran M88 Thrust Range Extension (T-REX) engines, conformal fuel tanks, unmanned ‘loyal wingmen', and a new air-to-air missile to succeed the MBDA Meteor, named in French national media reports as Comet.
Go beyond the headlines - with direct links to interconnected entities
Get full access to validated equipment, military capabilities, and market insights.
