France deepens ties with Serbia in landmark Rafale jet agreement

During the official visit of the President of Serbia to France on April 10, it was announced that France and Serbia had reached an agreement concerning a transaction for 12 Rafale aircraft. Here, we present the background of this decision and the performance of these machines.

Serbia has officially agreed with France regarding acquiring 12 Rafale jets, and the contract will most likely be signed in the coming months. It's worth noting that these plans are not new, as Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had already mentioned Serbia's intention to acquire French fighters back in 2023.

The agreement with France is another sign of Russia's diminishing influence in various countries worldwide. These countries seem to regard France as a viable alternative, especially regarding military equipment supplies. Other nations previously aligned with Russia but are now seeking neutral options, including India, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan, which have also preferred the Rafale.

France's approach to arms supplies is notably neutral. It avoids the imposition of international politics dictated by geopolitics to the extent seen with the USA or China. For instance, the Americans have already announced an embargo on equipment supplies to countries like Egypt.

Moreover, France doesn't intertwine humanitarian issues with the arms trade, unlike Germany, which has imposed vetoes on selling Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to Saudi Arabia. Another advantage is that most French weaponry isn't subject to American ITAR regulations. In recent years, these factors have led former Russian clients to view France as a genuine alternative and a reliable supplier.

This group includes Serbia, which recalls war times in the '90s and doesn't view the USA or Germany, which actively supported Croatia, among others, as alternatives. The announcement of the agreement has sparked concern among neighbouring countries that fear the renewal of Serbia's militaristic ambitions. Serbia still does not recognize Kosovo's independence. The Serbian purchase would also counterbalance the current air superiority of the Croatian Air Force, which has already received part of its order of 12 Rafale aircraft.

The French Rafale fighter is among the world's top military aircraft. It features a dual-engine design, delta wings, and a "canard" tail for unparalleled manoeuvrability at subsonic and supersonic speeds.

Unlike its competitor, the Eurofighter, the Rafale was designed from the outset as a multirole aircraft capable of achieving air superiority, attacking ground or naval targets, or even carrying out nuclear strikes.

The Rafale has advanced avionics for all-weather operation and enhanced survival prospects. Its equipment includes an AESA radar with active electronic scanning and a passive IRST (Infrared Search and Track) system, which can detect even stealth targets at distances up to approximately 100 km.

Also onboard are the DDM-NG infrared missile warning system, which is potentially integrated with a future DIRCM system for disabling missile guidance heads with laser beams, and the SPECTRA electronic warfare system. The latter employs techniques like DRFM (Digital Radio Frequency Memory) for "active camouflage," capturing, analyzing, and retransmitting modified enemy radar signals to make the aircraft more difficult to detect.

The Rafale's armament includes the NEXTER 30M791 30mm cannon, and the aircraft can carry over 9 tonnes of weaponry across 14 (or 13 in the marine version) pylons. The armament range includes:

• long-range air-to-air Meteor missiles,
• short/medium-range air-to-air MICA missiles (variations guided by RF radar or an infrared imaging seeker),
• anti-ship AM 39-Exocet missiles,
• cruise missiles Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG,
• guided AASM Hammer bombs (JDAM conversion kits),
• supersonic cruise missiles ASMP-A with a thermonuclear warhead.

Initially, the Rafale faced challenges in the international arms market. Still, the past decade has seen a significant upswing in interest in this model, leading the French to expand its production capabilities. Given the current global dynamics, further successes are anticipated.