Comparison Between Rafale and F16

Though everyone today is aware of the top technologies used in fighter planes to make them more efficient and durable for the modern battlefield, many of us do not know much about the specifications of the fighter planes that are used today by the army’s around the world. This article deals with the comparison of Rafale vs F16 in terms of Rafale speed and F16 speed and their makes. But before getting into the differentiation, let us acquire some knowledge about this specific fighter plane. When we talk about fighter planes the first question that arises is “what is a fighter plane”.

Fighter planes are also known as military aircraft that are specially designed for air to air combat and thus have fixed wings to provide them more stability. The fighter jets are designed in a way to establish the air superiority in the battlespace. With superior domination if the airspace allows the bomber and the attack from the aircraft to carry on a strategic and tactical bombing on the enemy sites. Beside strong firepower another very important aspect of fighter planes include high swift maneuvering and high speed (like speed of Rafale, F-16 Fighter Falcon, F-52 Rafter etc.) to the relative opponent army aircraft. 

These days many modern fighter planes are designed to make them capable of ground attacks and other military aircraft like fighter-bombers are designed to carry out both the air attacks as well as ground attacks. Other fighter planes are also specially designed to maneuver the dual role while still maintaining the superiority role in the air battlefield space such as interceptors, heavy fighters along night fighters.

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Image: Modern military aircrafts in action   

About Dassault Rafale Jets

Dassault Rafale jets are designed and constructed by Dassault Aviation of France which literally means “burst of fire”. It is a jet that is comprised of Twin-Engines made in France with astronomical arrangements with triangular wings, this aircraft is a multi-role fighter jet. It is well equipped with many weapons and shows extraordinary performance in terms of air supremacy, deep air support (DAS),anti-ship strike, in-depth strike, aerial reconnaissance and nuclear warfare missions. This aircraft has three different variants, namely, Rafale C single-seat land-based version, Rafale M single seat carrier version and Rafale B twin-seat land-base version. 

Rafale was designed in a way so as to reach its maximum potential as a modern Jet fighter plane. The most desirable feature of the Jet is its high level of agility and is constructed with an astronomical arrangement where a small forewing is attached in front of the main triangular fixed wings to provide it extreme maneuvering capability. The aircraft’s potential to withstand -3.6 g to 9g (g value) and 10.5 grams during solo display and in the case of emergency it goes up to a maximum limit of 11 g. The Rafale aircraft has negative stability and thus is provided with special inbuilt flight control, famously known as the digital fly-by-wire system that provides support to maintain thermodynamic stability and artificial enforcement.

The speed of Rafale is controlled by the astronomical arrangement of the forewings also called Carands of aircraft and is brought down to 115 knots during landing and the speed of Rafale noticed during the training session is as low as 15knots. Thus the Dassault aircraft is a perfect fit to carry out the operations from aircraft carriers that are of STOBAR-configuration due to the low speed of the aircraft. It is a multilayer aircraft that is capable of firing 2500 rounds of bullets from its compounded gun that makes it the deadliest and evil of all military aircraft that belongs to the 4th generation. Due to its stealthiness that is compounded with modern warfare technologies, it has the potential to survive in the high-density risk environment.

Under the defense minister Ajay Bhatt, India has so far received 26 Rafale out of 36 that India has a deal with Dassault Rafale. A deal of 59000 crore Indian rupees has been signed as a cost of 36 generations 4.5 Rafale aircraft that will be directly procured from Dassault Rafale from France. The first batch of 5 rafales landed in India on 29th July 2020. After Sukhoi Jets that were imported from Russia, Dussault France signed the second-biggest deal with India after 35 years in military fighter aircraft.   

Specifications of Rafale Fighter Plane

The Specifications of the Rafale fighter plane is listed below:

General Features

1. Crew: 1 to 2 (maximum)

2. Length: 15.27 meters

3. Height: 5.34 meters

4. Wingspan: 10.90 meters in height

5. Wing Area: 492 square feet

6. Empty Weight : Rafale B- 10,300 Kgs

                         Rafale C- 9850 Kgs

                         Rafale M- 10,600 Kgs

7. Gross Weight: 15000 Kgs

8. Maximum Take )ff Weight: 24500 Kgs

9. Fuel Capacity: 4700 Kgs for single-seaters and 4400 Kgs for double seaters

10. Maximum Fuel Intake: 16550 I internal + 2300 I in the 2x conformal tanks + 8500 I in 5 in 5 drop tanks  

Performance

1. Maximum Rafale speed: 1912 Km/h, 1390 Km/h in higher altitude and 750 Kn in low  Altitudes

2. Supercruise: Mach 1.4

3. Combat Range: 1850 Km

4. Ferry Range: 3700 Kms in presence of 3 drop tanks.

5. Service Ceiling: 15,835m in height

6. G limit: +9 to -3.6 and in case of emergency it goes up to +11. 

7. Climbing Rate: 304.8 m/s or 60000ft/min

8. Loading Weights on Wings: 328 Kg/m2

9. Thrust or weight: 0.988 with 100% fuel, 2 EM A2A missiles and 2 IR A2A missiles

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Image: Rafale military aircraft take off in France

About F16 Jetfighter

The F-16 fighting Falcon popularly known as the F-16 Jetfighter is designed and constructed by a renowned company established in the United States known as General Dynamics. It is a single-engine aircraft with a multi-role function as a fighter plane. It is specially designed to establish superiority as a day fighter plane but has successfully progressed into an all-weather multi-role fighter plane. There have been more than 4600n aircraft that have been manufactured by this company since it got the approval in the year 1976.  The main characteristics that make it an all-rounder fighter plane is its bubble canopy that gives the pilot a wider clearance and lateral view, control stick that has been mounted on the side of the panel for easy handling while maneuvering the airspace, the seat that is ejected during the time of emergency at an inclination of 30o from the vertical axis to reduce the gravity pressure on the falling pilot. It is the world’s first fighting plane that was constructed with a fly-by-wire control system to make the aircraft agile while making it thermodynamically stable. The fourth-generation F-16 aircraft are smaller in size, lightweight and more agile than their predecessors. Its body frame comprises aviation-grade aluminum alloy that is 80% of the composition with 8% steel, 3% composites along with 1.5% titanium. Its ventral fins are constructed with the honeycomb structured bonded aluminum and have a lamination coating of epoxy graphite.

Today this fighter plane is used by 25 countries as it flies with an average speed of 2400 Km/h with a service duration of 12000 hours. 

Specification of F16 Jetfighter 

Specification of  General Dynamics F-16 Fighter Falcon are:-

General specifications

1. Crew: 1 (maximum)

2. Length: 15.06 meters

3. Height: 4.9 meters

4. Wingspan: 9.96 meters in height

5. Wing Area: 300 square feet

6. Empty weight: 8573 Kgs 

7. Gross weight: 12020Kgs

8. Maximum take-off weight: 19187 Kgs

9. Fuel Capacity: 3200 Kgs for internal

Performance

1. Maximum speed: 1145 Kn at 40,000 ft and 800 Kn at sea level

2. Supercruise: Mach 2.05, Mach 1.2 (clean)

3. Combat Range: 295 nmi on hi-lo-hi mission with 4000 il bombs mounted.

4. Ferry Range: 4217 Kms in presence of drop tanks.

5. Service ceiling: 18,000 m in height

6. G limit: +9

7. Climbing Rate: 370 m/s or 72,000ft/min

8. Loading weights on wings: 431 Kg/m2

9. Thrust or weight: 1.095 with 50% fuel

Dassault Rafale vs F16

Points on Rafale jet Vs F16 are: