In a significant technological advancement for the French Air and Space Force, the nation has announced the development of a stealthy uncrewed aerial vehicle (UCAV) that will fly alongside the futuristic ‘Super Rafale’ in a manned-unmanned teaming configuration.

The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, made the announcement at the Saint-Dizier Air Base as he marked the 60th anniversary of the French Strategic Air Forces (FAS).

The Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force (AAE), General Jérôme Bellang, and the Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, Éric Trappier, were also present at the event.

The Rafale F5 variant also called the ‘Super Rafale,’ is currently under development and is regarded as the most advanced variant of the aircraft conceptualized to date. Lecornu stressed that the new uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) will complement the Rafale F5 standard after 2030.

Following Lecornu’s announcement, Dassault CEO Éric Trappier said in a statement: “This stealth combat drone will contribute to the technological and operational superiority of the French Air Force by 2033.”

“It is significant that it is being initiated today, as we mark the 60th anniversary of the Strategic Air Forces and the 90th anniversary of the Air and Space Force: in aeronautics — a highly complex field — the future has deep roots and innovation is built on experience. Dassault Aviation and its partners are proud to serve the French Armed Forces and the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA),” he emphasized.

Dassault Aviation will be in charge of the drone program’s industrial side. The manufacturer explained that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will be designed to work in tandem with the Rafale and would be ideal for collaborative warfare.

It will incorporate features like internal payload capacity, autonomous control (with man-in-the-loop capability), and stealth technology, among other state-of-the-art technologies. The unmanned aircraft will be extremely adaptable and built to adapt to novel combat threats.

Dassault Aviation will leverage its prior experience with developing and testing a UCAV demonstrator. The official statement mentioned that the new UCAV program will gain from the successes of Europe’s first stealth UCAV demonstration, the nEUROn program.

The announcement comes as unmanned aircraft equipped with artificial intelligence are now operating with manned platforms globally in what is known as manned-unmanned teaming. These unmanned aircraft are popularly known as ‘loyal wingman’ drones.

Loyal wingman drones, regarded as the most sought-after aircraft teaming concept, are being actively developed by nations such as the United States, Australia, China, and Russia.

The US, for example, is working on the ‘Collaborative Combat Aircraft’ and producing autonomous loyal wingman drones to fly with its next-generation aircraft as well as the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II.

France is no exception, especially with a cutting-edge Rafale-5 under development. These reasonably priced unmanned platforms could be employed as a buddy to fighter jets and carry out roles primarily performed by manned aircraft.

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France has been working on the concept for several years. The country developed a stealthy, flying-wing-type drone under the nEUROn program, a pan-European initiative headed by Dassault Aviation. The demonstrator has undertaken several test flights.

The Military Programming Law (LPM) 2024-30, unveiled by France last year, stipulated that the Rafale F5 should be supported by a combat drone developed under the nEUROn program.

At the time, the French Ministry of Armed Forces said that the combat drone “will allow it to act with discretion as an extension of the Rafale F5 to produce decisive network effects” and that “with these characteristics,” this device “should be a cornerstone of processing modern medium and long-range anti-aircraft systems.”

There is an indication that it will build on the design and capability of the nEUROn. Earlier, experts had noted that the loyal wingman drone accompanying the F-5 would assist in executing suppression/destruction of enemy air defense (SEAD/DEAD) roles.

For now, we know that the UCAV will expand the mission set and capability of the Rafale F5 variant, which is being developed with the next-generation Future Combat Air System (FCAS) in mind.

In fact, when the FCAS hit rough waters with partners Germany and Spain, there was speculation that France would develop the F5 variant as an alternative. However, the FCAS program has since been salvaged. The F-5 would, thus, be an intermediary between the existing Rafale models and the future FCAS next-generation aircraft.

The Super Rafale F5 

The Rafale F5 upgrade is a precursor to the Next Generation Fighter that is part of the FCAS. The F5 Standard’s preliminary research kicked off last year, and full-scale development is scheduled for 2026-27.

The aircraft is designed to serve as a platform that enhances collaborative combat capabilities and incorporates next-generation weapons.

The Rafale F5 is being evaluated as a tactical flying command post for sensor integration, data fusion, and processing. The aircraft will maintain connectivity with the manned aircraft produced under the FCAS program.

A very different aircraft than the existing Rafale F3R or F4, the Rafale F5 will have to carry the future ASN4G nuclear-capable missile.

Furthermore, reports suggest that the Rafale F5 is to be equipped with more advanced replacements for the Exocet anti-ship missile, the SCALP conventional cruise missile, and perhaps an upgraded variant of the formidable Meteor missile.

France previously stated that certain munitions that the Rafale F5 can carry would be “capable of destroying air defense systems that are both powerful and mobile.” The MFA is, therefore, considering developing a “future anti-ship missile/future cruise missile (FMAN/FNC)… adapted to the destruction of ground-air systems”.

The aircraft may primarily be used to suppress Enemy Anti-aircraft Defenses (SEAD). These SEAD capabilities will most likely be based on the development of new anti-radiation air-to-ground munitions capable of raising a radar beam to destroy anti-aircraft systems and their transmitters, as well as powerful jammers that will allow a Rafale to protect not only itself but also other allied aircraft operating in the area.

With Super Rafales on the way armed with a UCAV, France could be eyeing the mother of all deals from India as the Indian Air Force is scouting for 114 jets in a nearly $20B deal.

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