First Upgraded Rafale Delivered To French Air Force

France today announced that it has inducted its first upgraded Rafale aircraft on 12 July. In 2011, AAI was awarded a contract to upgrade French air force Rafale fighters. After an initial phase-in, the single-seat Rafale serial no C106 will become the first of 52 similar aircraft to instead be modified and upgraded at the AAI’s Clermont-Ferrand facility. Upgrade work on the French air force Rafale fleet began in 2011 and, since then, thirteen aircraft have already been modernized. Today, to increase the pace of the upgrade, and after a training period, the AIA will begin a four-year upgrade cycle of Rafale two-seaters and single seaters. With the new modifications, Rafale will have enhanced capabilities in the field of communications, interoperability and data exchange with ground troops. The main tasks assigned to the AIA are conducted for the benefit of the French armed forces. They consist in the maintenance of aircraft (Mirage 2000, Mirage F1, AlphaJet, Transall, Puma, Gazelle), of related equipment, and the modernization of aircraft and of special installations for the three services.