“One airframe, seven missions, forty years of relevance.”
The Dassault Rafale A technology demonstrator on its 4 July 1986 maiden flight reached about Mach 1.3; Mach 1.8 is a production-aircraft maximum-speed figure. Designed to replace seven older French types, the delta-canard fighter entered naval service in June 2004 as the Rafale M aboard the Charles de Gaulle, initially with F1 air-to-air standards. Subsequent F2 and F3 standards added strike, reconnaissance, and nuclear deterrence. In 2012, the Thales RBE2 AESA radar made it Europe's first operational fighter with an active array. Exported to Egypt, India, Qatar, and others, the Rafale is slated to remain France's frontline combat aircraft beyond 2060.
The Rafale replaced seven French types and then added strike and reconnaissance through F2 and F3 standards — a systems and role upgrade on the type you already fly will often close the gap that a new airplane is being sold to fill.