First Flight of French AF Rafale in F3R Standard has Indian Co-Pilot

The first flight of the French Air Force (FAF) Rafale jet in the F3R standard-equipped with the new generation Talios Targeting Pod- took off in the skies of Mons, France, on September 22.

A unique feature of the mission was that an Indian air force (IAF) pilot operated from the rear-seat of the twin-seater jet, French Ministry of Defense announced on September 30.

The flight was undertaken by the fighter and experimentation squadron of the (FAF) Center of Military Air Expertise (CEAM), whose core business consists of testing future equipment.

“The Air and Space Army is contributing to the rise of the Indian Air Force on the use of the Rafale. It was therefore natural that the Indian partners could realize the possibilities offered by the Talios Pod,” the release said.

The purpose of the mission was to demonstrate the capabilities of the Talios in the air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea domains. For this first flight, the Indian pilot was able to note the added value provided by the Talios compared to the (older Domacles) sensors.

Concerning the air-to-ground capacity, the effectiveness of the Pod Talios both in its use during deep strike missions and in the detection and engagement of small moving targets was comprehended. In the air-to-sea domain, the Talios has proven itself in the tracking of boats.

The first operational capability of the Talios is expected for October 2020, in order to be able to deploy it very quickly in theaters of operations. It brings extended capabilities compared to the (older) Damocles pod, in particular by the increased precision of its optics, the improvement of the geo-location, the tracking of moving targets, the augmented reality to add markers on the area, and an infrared capability.