Aerobatics enthusiasts will not be disappointed when they attend the 54th International Air and Space Show (SIAE) Paris Air Show. The beautiful flower of the air show met there for demonstrations of the world’s most renowned aircraft.
No need to queue, just raise your eyes to the sky to witness the sometimes deafening acrobatics of the pilots of Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35 LIghting, A321 XLR, Tiger, H160 and NH90 helicopters, A400M, Boeing 737-10 and 777-9. In their armored or civilian aircraft, these “aces of aces” perform stunts that will take your breath away.
On the other hand, to board the plane installed on the runway, you will have to be patient and protect yourself from the sun, but the game is worth it. Here’s our pick of a few must-have devices among the hundreds featured. Some, particularly those on display at the Air and Space Force stand, you will be able to see from the inside and discuss with the crews.
The Rafael F4
It is the first one. The Rafale F4, the latest version of Dassault’s multirole fighter, is presented at the stand of the Ministry of the Armed Forces. It is an ultramodern device. It is clad in sensors and has an impressive armament of the Mica NG air-to-air missile.
In the cockpit, pilots have a helmet visor to point the aircraft’s sensors at an object detected by the pilot, either on the ground or in the air. If an aircraft is detected, the information will be indicated on the crosshairs.
It is even possible to take control of the Rafale. At the Dassault booth, virtual reality headset simulators are available to the public. You will have to take off, complete a mission and land on the Charles de Gaulle. Thrill guaranteed!
Scaf’s Next Generation Fighter (NGF)
The model of the Dassault, Airbus and Indra NGF returns to Le Bourget. Of course, we cannot see it from the inside, we will have to wait until 2029 to discover the demonstrator of this fighter of the future and until 2040 for it to equip the Air Force and naval aviation with the new generation aircraft carrier (Pang). .
But we already know a bit about the capabilities of this sixth-generation stealth aircraft that will succeed the Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon. This supersonic will have a weapon consisting of hypersonic missiles, anti-drone laser beams and of course nuclear deterrent.
Connected to a combat cloud, your pilot will visualize the airspace on his helmet visor and fly a squadron of drones to perform intelligence, observation and attack tasks.
The A400M
Intended for strategic and tactical transport missions, the A400M is a wide-body aircraft. The word is weak. It is capable of transporting up to 37 tons of cargo over 4,500 kilometers.
Army armored vehicles, such as the French Caesar Cannon, are even designed to enter the belly of this behemoth of the sky. Airbus even made a water bomber version to fight forest fires. In 2019 it was certified by the DGA for the simultaneous release of a hundred paratroopers.
Your missions will evolve as this device will be a central element of the Scaf (air combat system of the future). You will be responsible for dropping around fifty small support drones and a dozen large support drones on the operational areas. The story of the A400M has only just begun.
The A330 MRTT
The A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is a transport and refueling aircraft derived from the Airbus A330 airliner. It has already been adopted by more than ten countries. The military version is responsible for refueling combat aircraft such as the Rafale or the Eurofighter Typhoon in flight. It can carry 110 tons of kerosene and fills the tank of combat aircraft with 4,500 liters of fuel per minute.
It can also carry up to 272 people or 30 tons of cargo 10,000 km. There is also a medicalized modular version to transport around 12,000 kilometers around ten patients with high medical dependency or up to 40 light patients.
It is a strategic device in all the missions of the European air forces. Produced in Toulouse, France has just received its tenth copy. The Air and Space Force expects two more by the end of 2023.
Your future is already written. The A330 MRTT will be like the A400 a component of the Scaf, Airbus revealed to us. Its mission will be to refuel planes and drones, but it will also serve as a communication center by collecting data collected by all the units involved in an operation (land, air, sea and space). A true flight command center will send each plane on a specific mission. If threatened, it will leave the system to delegate command of operations to an NGF.
The Falcon 6X
At the Paris Air Show, the Falcon celebrates its 60th anniversary. He was born on May 4, 1963. For this event, Dassault reveals to the public the interior of its latest business jet, the 6X. The first devices ordered will be delivered in the coming months. Excluding options, the amount of the invoice amounts to approximately 50 million euros.
It can transport eight passengers with the comfort of a 4-star hotel over distances of more than 10,000 kilometers. Of course, you can sleep there, but also be entertained and informed thanks to the touch screens available to passengers or daydream while looking at the landscape through portholes or the sky through a glass ceiling that is a first. world.
It is certified to fly on 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). In the next few years, it could be 100% SAF.
If you have a bathroom, you only need a shower. To have one, we will have to wait for the 10X, a very long-distance jet (more than 13,000 kilometers), whose first version is presented at the Dassault stand.
Source: BFM TV
