Unlike previous French fighters, which relied on exports to lower their costs and keep production lines humming, the Rafale has yet to secure a single export contract – in part because initial versions were hampered by impaired capabilities in key roles. Those costs, and associated delays triggered by the end of the Cold War and reduced funding, proved to be very costly indeed. France has generally opted for expensive but independent defense choices, and the Rafale was no exception. As is so often true of French defense procurement policy, the choice came down to paying additional costs for full independence and exact needs, or losing key industrial capabilities by partnering or buying abroad. The French needed a lighter aircraft that was suitable for carrier use, and were reportedly unwilling to cede design authority over the project. Will Dassault’s fighter become a fashionably late fighter platform that builds on its parent company’s past successes – or just “the late Rafale”? It all began as a 1985 break-away from the multinational consortium that went on to create EADS’ Eurofighter.
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