Dassault Tests Artificial Intelligence Integration on Rafale Fighters

Dassault Tests Artificial Intelligence Integration on Rafale Fighters

The French manufacturer has embedded two algorithms to evaluate performance and decision-making amid a global push to integrate AI into aerial combat.

A Rafale fighter jet manufactured by France's Dassault. Photo: Rafael Minguet Delgado / Pexels License / Pexels

France is currently preparing for its next generation of fighter jets or a comprehensive upgrade of its existing fleet, a significant move following the cancellation of the joint Franco-German future combat aircraft program with Airbus.

As part of these preparations and efforts to test advanced technologies, Dassault Aviation told Reuters that it has embedded two advanced artificial intelligence algorithms into a Rafale fighter jet to closely examine the aircraft's performance aided by the new technology.

According to information provided by the company, one algorithm was developed independently in-house by Dassault, while the second was developed in close collaboration with Thales. Both companies have been longtime, key partners in the development and production of the Rafale fighter jet family.

Dassault chose not to disclose in-depth technical details or exact specifications regarding the AI trial or the specific role designated for each algorithm. It clarified only that the test is designed to examine how AI can be integrated into various complex tasks currently performed by human crews, aiming to evaluate different applications of these capabilities within the aircraft's systems.

This trend is not unique to France, as defense manufacturers worldwide are working to integrate artificial intelligence across various fields, with an emphasis on rapid battlefield decision-making and manned-unmanned teaming between crewed fighters and accompanying aircraft assisting them in mission execution.

For example, Sweden's Saab recently announced a test involving a Gripen E fighter effectively flown by artificial intelligence that engaged directly against an aircraft flown by a human pilot, aimed at testing what future aerial combat might look like and how such systems perform in complex flight conditions. In addition, in 2024, the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force flew in an F-16 fighter integrated with an advanced machine learning system developed by Shield AI to demonstrate the system's ability to conduct direct air combat against a human F-16 pilot.

In this context, Dassault stated that it possesses the full capability to conduct such advanced trials on its Rafale aircraft, while emphasizing that it remains entirely open to exploring future cooperation proposals with new partners in the field to continue advancing these technologies.