The popularity of the Rafale fighter jet in India's Operation Sindoor against pakistan has increased so much that now portugal is also preparing to make a deal with france for Rafale. The CEO of Dassault Aviation, the company that makes Rafale, told the French Senate that the company is preparing to make a deal for the Rafale multirole fighter jet from Portugal.
This announcement by Dassault Aviation has been made at a time when competition in the fighter jet market has increased significantly in the world. Portugal is currently planning to make significant changes in its defense strategy as it is considering options to replace its old F-16 fleet.
The Portuguese air Force is dependent on the F-16
According to the Bulgarian military, portugal has been largely dependent on the American fighter jet F-16 since the 1990s. In 1994, portugal bought 20 F-16s from the US. After this, in 1999, it bought 25 used F-16s from Denmark, after which the Portugal Air Force was dependent on American fighter jets. Meanwhile, portugal was preparing to buy America's upgraded F-35. According to experts, portugal is reconsidering the F-35 due to concerns about the uncertainty of US foreign policy.
What is the specialty of Rafale fighter jet?
Rafale is a double-engine fighter jet, whose combat radius is 3700 km. Three types of missiles can be installed in it. Meteor missile for air-to-air attack, Scalp missile for air-to-ground attack and Hammer missile. Rafale's speed of climbing to height is 300 meters per second, that is, it can reach a height of about 18 kilometers in a minute.
Rafale can fly continuously for 10 hours on a single refueling. It can also refuel in the air itself. The gun installed in Rafale is capable of firing 2500 rounds in a minute. The biggest feature of Rafale is its radar system. It can identify 40 targets simultaneously within a radius of 100 kilometers.
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