The French Navy (Marine Nationale/ MN) has received the first Dassault Rafale combat aircraft (serial number 30) to be upgraded to the latest F3R standard. The F3R standard of the Rafale offers several hardware and software enhancements over the F3 aircraft.

The first aircraft will be prepared for delivery to the fighter detachment of the 10 Squadron of the Naval Aviation Experimental and Evaluation Centre, located at Hyères near Marseilles.

If the forthcoming trials by 10 Squadron go to plan, the MN will declare the F-3R-standard Rafale to be operationally ready. The first operational aircraft will be flown by 11 Naval Air Squadron (Flotille 11F) based at Landivisiau.

The F3R standard comprises the integration of the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) and the latest laser-guided version of the Sagem air-to-ground precision weapon modular, (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire /AASM); the Thales TALIOS long-range airborne targeting pod; automatic ground collision avoidance system (Auto-GCAS); the Thales RBE2 active electronic scanned array (AESA) radar and the Spectra electronic warfare system.