The future Rafale F5 will not have a SEAD/DEAD version, but will compensate with nEUROn drones

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces does not consider necessary to develop a specialized version of the future Rafale F5 dedicated to the suppression and destruction of enemy anti-aircraft defenses (SEAD/DEAD). This capability will be provided by a multiplicity of assets, among which the unmanned combat aircraft nEUROn will play a vital role.

In response to a written question posed by Congresswoman Nathalie Da Conceicao Carvalho, on whether there were plans to develop a dedicated SEAD/DEAD version of the Rafale to cope with modern air defense and area denial systems, like the U.S. has with the EA-18G Growler and as the future Eurofighter EW under development for Germany, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces replied that they remain confident in the evolution of the Rafale’s SPECTRA self-protection system, and in the novel capabilities that the future F5 variant will bring.

There is confidence that the continued development of the Rafale and its armament will provide the French Armed Forces, until 2030-35, with a credible capability to destroy enemy air defenses. The Ministry of the Armed Forces considers that «the development of a version of the Rafale dedicated to electronic warfare does not appear necessary to ensure the maintenance of our operational superiority.»

The Rafale will continue to rely on its advanced SPECTRA self-protection system, which is constantly evolving, both for the current versions (F3R and F4) and for the future F5 version and the dedicated nuclear deterrent aircrafts.

In the medium term, the French strategy for the suppression of enemy anti-aircraft defenses will focus on the joint employment of various assets with complementary capabilities, with the future Rafale F5 as the centerpiece.

Joint and collaborative approach

The evolution of the French fighter will represent a «second generation of connectivity», compared to the F4 standard, as it will be able to process large volumes of data since it will be equipped with more powerful mission computers and innovative fiber optic cabling. These advances will be implemented in the 6th generation FCAS/SCAF air combat system.

As the «brain» of a SEAD/DEAD mission, the Rafale F5 will be primarily supported by nEUROn stealth combat drones, which will act as an extension of the manned aircraft (remote sensor and effector). The combat drone should be a «cornerstone in the treatment of modern medium and long-range anti-aircraft systems», allowing the detection and attack of enemy radars from afar, without exposing the crew of the jet.

For the destruction of radar systems and enemy air defense command and control posts, the Rafale F5 will integrate a version designed for the destruction of ground-to-air systems of the future supersonic anti-ship missile under development by MBDA for France and the United Kingdom (and perhaps Italy, in the future) under the FC/ASW program. Active ECM decoys such as the SPEAR-EW, also from MBDA, will surely be part of the French SEAD/DEAD strategy.