A French Rafale fighter has been photographed at Istres airbase carrying a Thales-supplied laser-guided rocket pod designed to target Shahed drones. This marks the first visual confirmation of the multirole jet adapting for cost-effective counter-drone operations.
The pod equips the Rafale with precision-guided 2.75-inch rockets, similar to BAE Systems’ APKWS kits, which convert unguided munitions into low-cost weapons vital against inexpensive Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones costing as little as $20,000 each.
Shahed drones, deployed in swarms by Iran and Russia, overwhelm traditional defenses like million-dollar U.S. anti-missile interceptors, driving demand for affordable alternatives. The Rafale’s Damocles electro-optical/laser designation pod enables accurate targeting, enhancing its ground attack and reconnaissance roles.
This integration bolsters the Rafale’s versatility in drone-heavy conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East, where interception rates vary from 65-85% using systems like SA-8 missiles or Gepard SPAAGs. Operational testing at Istres underscores France’s push for economical air-to-air and air-to-surface drone interception.
The Rafale’s SPECTRA defensive suite further protects it during these missions, positioning the jet as a key asset in evolving aerial threats.