Rafale F4.1 Standard, the Latest Version of the Fighter Joins French Air & Space Force

The French Air and Space Force received the first of the latest generation Rafale jetsm dubbed "Rafale 4.1 standard," on March 2, the country’s defense ministry has confirmed.

The service’s Air Warfare Center, located on the 118th air base in southwestern France, took delivery of the first F4.1 standard Rafale last week.

Development of the Rafale F4 standard kicked off in 2019, when then defense minister Florence Parly signed a €2 billion ($2.12 billion) deal with Dassault Aviation.

Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume, second in command of the Fighter and Experimentation Squadron (ECE), said the aircraft was one of the F3Rs sent to the Direction Generale de l’Armement for “software transformation” earlier this year.

The Air Force is set to receive the second F4 aircraft in the coming weeks. These upgraded jets will integrated into the service’s 30th Fighter Wing to begin training in anticipation of an Initial Operating Capability decision.

Flight tests of the new standard began at the Dassault Aviation Flight Test Center in Istres, near Marseille, in April 2021. The aircraft is slated for full availability by 2025.

The new standard includes upgrades to existing capabilities like the Thales AESA radar and Talios targeting pod along with the Rafale’s electronic warfare system and communications suite.