Dassault Rafale vs F-16 Fighting Falcon
French Dassault Rafale vs US F-16E Fighting Falcon Block 60 Comparison
Rafale vs F-16 Flight Cost Per Hour
Overall and BVR ratings
| CATEGORY | DASSAULT RAFALE | F-16E/F BLOCK 60 |
| BVR Rating | 90% | 78% |
| Armament | 8.6/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Technology | 8.5/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Avionics | 8.4/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Maneuverability | 9.3/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Rate of Climb | max. 300 m/s – 60k ft/min | max. 254 m/s – 50k ft/min |
| Thrust/Weight | 1.13 | 1.11 |
| Service Ceiling | 17 km – 55k ft | 15 km – 50k ft |
| Speed | 2.00 Mach | 2.00 Mach |
| Fuel Economy | 0.70 km/l – 1.65 NM/gallon | 0.91 km/l – 2.13 NM/gallon |
| Unit Cost | 130.000.000 USD | 35.000.000 USD |
| Overall Rating | excellent | very good |
BVR (Beyond Visual Range) Ratings
| CATEGORY | DASSAULT RAFALE | F-16E/F BLOCK 60 |
| BVR AAM missile | MBDA Meteor | AIM-120 AMRAAM |
| AAM origin | NATO | USA |
| Year | in 2013 | in 1997 |
| Range (mile) | 62 | 45 |
| Range (km) | 100 | 75 |
| Speed (mph) | 2640 | 2640 |
| Speed (km/h) | 4248 | 4248 |
| Radar | Thales RBE2-AA | AN/APG-80 |
| Radar overall rating | excellent | excellent |
| BVR Technology | 85% | 82% |
| BVR Def. Tech. | 85% | 77% |
| RCS – Radar Cross Section | 0.5-2.0 | 0.5-1.5 |
Dogfight (close to medium range) Ratings
| CATEGORY | DASSAULT RAFALE | F-16E/F BLOCK 60 |
| Cannon | GIAT 30M/719B | M61A1 Vulcan |
| Caliber (mm) | 30 mm | 20 mm |
| Rate of Fire (rpm) | 2500 rpm | 6000 rpm |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1025 m/s | 1050 m/s |
| Size Point 10%-30% | 20% | 30% |
| Maneuverability | 9.3 | 7,9 |
| Thrust/Weight Ratio | 1,13 | 1,11 |
| AAM (first) | MBDA MICA | AIM-7 Sparrow |
| Operational range | 0.2 – 50 km | 0.2 – 50 km |
| AAM (second) | R.550 MAGIC II | IRIS-T |
| Operational range | 0.3 – 15 km | 0.5 – 30 km |
| Dogfight Rating | 76% | 58% |
Size Comparison
| CATEGORY | DASSAULT RAFALE | F-16E/F BLOCK 60 |
| Length | 15.27 m – 50 ft 1 in | 15.0 m – 49 ft 4 in |
| Wingspan | 10.80 m – 35 ft 4 in | 9.45 m – 31 ft 0 in |
| Wing area | 45.7 m² – 492 ft² | 28.0 m² – 300 sq ft |
| Height | 5.30 m – 17 ft 3 in | 5.1 m – 16 ft 8 in |
| Weight | 10,100 kg – 22,6k lb | 10,000 kg – 22,1k lb |
| Power | 2 x 75 kN – 17k lbf | 1 x 145 kN 32k lbf |
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