Geostrategic Media Political Commentary, Analysis, Security, Defense
Maya Carlin
The Rafale will undoubtedly elevate Ukraine’s defensive efforts against Russia.
Ukraine’s defensive arsenal against Russia continues to grow. From main battle tanks and airframes to drones and infantry fighting vehicles, Kyiv has received billions of dollars’ worth of military aid and equipment from the United States and its NATO allies over the last three-plus years of war. Most recently, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy penned a deal with his French counterpart to procure as many as 100 Rafale fighter jets over the next 10 years. The deal, deemed “historic” by Kyiv, appears to be nearly finalized after both Zelenskyy and French president Emmanuel Macron signed a letter of intent earlier this week. In addition to the Rafale fighters, Ukraine is poised to purchase new radars, air defense systems, and other advanced weaponry from its European ally.
Speaking to French television, Macron announced, “We’re planning Rafales, 100 Rafales — that’s huge. That’s what’s needed for the regeneration of the Ukrainian military.” Zelenskyy mirrored this rhetoric in his own public remarks, noting, “This is a strategic agreement which will last for 10 years starting from the next year.” France has previously provided top-tier defense equipment to support Ukraine’s efforts in the ongoing war. Specifically, the SAMP/T surface-to-air missile systems delivered to Kyiv are considered to be on par with the American-made Patriot batteries. French Air Force gen. Fabien Mandon has even claimed that the SAMP/T has been a more effective tool for Ukraine than its US-made counterpart. “We helped Ukraine by deploying missile and drone interception systems called the SAMP/T system,” Mandon said. “The Russians adapted the flight profiles of their most advanced missiles because they realized they were being intercepted by Ukrainian defenses. Today, the Patriot system is struggling to intercept them, but the SAMP/T is intercepting them.”
Introducing the Rafale F4 Fighter
While the inclusion of air defense systems in the latest French-Ukrainian deal is important, the sale of Rafale jets will arguably prove to be a better investment for Kyiv. The fourth-generation aircraft, manufactured by France’s Dassault Aviation, has a proven combat record after serving the French Air Force for nearly a quarter of a century. The F4 iteration of the Rafale series is the current production model of the platform. The F4 features a host of sophisticated capabilities, including new satellites, datalinks, enhanced radars and electro-optical systems, and elevated ordnance integration. The Rafale can notably carry the Sidewinder, Magic, ASRAAM, and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles; the Apache, HARM, ALARM, and Maverick air-to-ground missiles; and the Penguin 3 and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. In terms of power, two Snecma M88 turbofan engines run the Rafale jets, which enable the aircraft to reach speeds in excess of Mach 1.8 (times the speed of sound). When it comes to countermeasures and sensors, the Rafale is equipped with a Thales TLS 2000 navigation receiver and the RBE2 passive electronically scanned array radar, which possesses look-down and shoot-down functions.
Considering these impressive specs and capabilities, the Rafale will undoubtedly elevate Kyiv’s defensive efforts against Russia in the ongoing invasion.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, national security writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues. Carlin has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel.
