The Dassault Rafale M is the naval version (Marine) of the beautiful French 4.5 generation twin-engine fighter, designed for carrier-based operations (CATOBAR). It features a reinforced airframe, a detent hook, a "jump strut" nose wheel, and carries multiple weapons, including Meteor, MICA, SCALP and Exocet.

Aéronavale received its first Rafale M fighters in December 2000. Flottille 12F, previously operating F-8 Crusaders, became the first squadron to operate the Rafale in May 2001. They participated in Trident d'Or aboard carrier Charles de Gaulle, testing avionics and engaging in maritime exercises. The plane was declared operational with the French Navy in June 2004.

In 2002, Rafale Ms were first deployed in combat during "Mission Héraclès" aboard the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle. They operated near Afghanistan but did not engage due to the limitations of the F1 standard. The carrier later conducted training in the Gulf of Oman and patrols near the India-Pakistan border. In 2016, Rafales from the same carrier targeted Islamic State positions in Iraq and the Levant.

The type is designed to be fully compatible with United States Navy aircraft carriers and several French Navy pilots have received qualifications to operate the aircraft from US Navy flight decks. A significant event occurred on 4 June 2010, when a French Rafale became the inaugural foreign navy jet fighter to have its engine replaced on board the USS Harry S. Truman during a military exercise.

In December 2015, American and French military officials considered deploying French naval Rafale Ms on a US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier starting January 2017, allowing continued operations during Charles de Gaulle's major refit. Although Rafales had demonstrated interoperability by landing on U.S. carriers, this would mark their first combat missions from one. Up to 18 Rafale Ms could be stationed on the carrier, with space needed for support crews and supplies. In May 2018, Operation Chesapeake tested this interoperability, with 12 Rafales and approximately 350 personnel training on USS George H.W. Bush.

On January 9, 2025, the Rafale participated in joint anti-aircraft exercises alongside the Indian Air Force's Su-30MKI and Jaguar aircraft. This event took place while the French Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, was visiting India from January 4 to January 9, 2025, as part of Mission Clemenceau 25. During this timeframe, the INS Mormugao was also engaged in joint navigational drills and a Maritime Partnership Exercise with the escort ships accompanying the French CSG.

THE KIT

Italeri came in 1993 with its new tool Rafale C, followed, via addition of new parts, by the navalized Rafale M and the dual seater Rafale B in 1995 and 1998 respectively. Versions of these kits have been reboxed quite a few times by Tamiya, Heller, Hasegawa, Revell and Platz (in two cases as “model sets”, featuring basic color paints, glue and a paintbrush). In 2012 the “M” version was again reissued, this time with upgraded molds, featuring new parts.

The specific kit is the 2012 version, which was a gift from my small but beloved local club (Paneuboean Miniature Club) for my nameday in 2023. Superseded by the very good Hobby Boss offering, this is a decent kit and for a more in depth look at its contents you may read its preview, found in the ever growing MM archives.

CONSTRUCTION

The cockpit was assembled and, together with the interconnected canards, trapped between the top and bottom fuselage halves, which nicely contain the wings. Basic cockpit color was black, with the same shade used for the side stick and the inner front and rear antiglare areas. All raised instruments were dry brushed with silver, to bring out their details and a few knobs were replicated by “pinning” red and yellow paint. The seat received the same black color, including all cushions, with the seat belts painted medium gray. While not overly detailed, the practically all-black cockpit looks acceptable under my “de rigeur” closed canopy.

I next successively attached to the main model the nicely done nose gear bay, the Intakes (2-piece each) with the SPECTRA countermeasure antennas on them, the two small ventrally located air inlets, the two wingtip pylons, the 2-piece fin and the nose cone, where I secured around 20 grams of fishing weights. As a note, a pitot tube is supplied, instructed to be attached to the nose cone tip. This is not correct for production Rafales, as they didn’t feature such a pitot so the best thing to do is only attach its base, to cover the existing hole, then cut off the tube and blend the remaining with the nose cone.

After the above steps, basic assembly was completed, which was neither complex nor complicated. Fit was quite good, with some attention needed to the intakes to fuselage joints. Since the model was destined to be posted to a friend in France, I decided not to attach any stores, to facilitate packing and reduce the risk of something breaking during transportation. After all, the Rafale looks gorgeous naked! Upon some filling and sanding, it was time to take the bird to the paint shop!

COLORS & MARKINGS

I gave the complete model, including the gear doors, a coat of Hu165 Medium Gray, which I had darkened a bit with around 2% black to achieve (to my eye) the distinctive Rafale gray shade. The various ECM antenna radomes were painted a darker gray, the spine located APU exhaust and the small protective filet between the two engines were painted steel, the aft located flare dispenser areas were painted turquoise and the nose cone tip was painted linen. A coat of Future prepared the bird for decaling.

I used the kit decals to represent Flottille 12F’s #28 machine, as it stood in Charles de Gaulle Aircraft Carrier during the 2011 Libya Operation. Typically for Italeri, the decals behaved beautifully, easily detaching from the backing paper and nicely adhering to all areas. A coat of Future sealed them.

FINAL CONSTRUCTION

The good looking landing gear was assembled and attached in position. Main color, including that of bay walls, inner doors and rims, was silver and tires were painted black. The wheels were tad filed to look weighted.

The two exhausts were assembled and attached in position. The afterburner can innards were painted Testors Burned metal, while their nozzle flaps were painted matt black, to simulate that carbon look. The front located IR and SPECTRA sensors were attached and painted the same basic model color. In retrospect, I should have attached them at earlier stages, to be painted together with the basic model. Oh well! The refueling probe was attached at this time, as well.

Not too much weathering was applied, apart from some black wash at the landing gear area and some brown and black dry pastels, to cut the boring overall gray. A satin coat gave the bird its final hue.

The transparencies had their well defined frames hand painted and attached in position, fitting quite well, with white glue used to blend them to the fuselage. The port leading edge landing light and the anticollision lights were replicated using my fine tip silver pen, while the navigation lights were represented by blobs of red and green clear paint, before calling the Marine Rafale done!

CONCLUSIONS

Superseded by the latest and greatest Hobby Boss offering, this is an acceptable kit of the navalized Rafale. Molding is crisp, detail is sufficient, transparencies are clear and instructions are good, as are the decals. Panel lines are raised, but this might not be a problem for a number of us. Regarding accuracy, it is true that the Italeri kit is based on the earlier prototypes, with an “update” sprue used to add some later fittings. If you add those bits and delete the nose pitot, the final result comes quite close to the production Rafales. The construction itself is uncomplex and pleasant, with fit being quite good, deeming it suitable for less experienced modelers.

KIT #:	1319
PRICE:	$16.00
DECALS:	Two options
REVIEWER:	Spiros Pendedekas
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