DASSAULT IS OUT.
Well... That didn't take long. Less than a week after Canada released a new Request for Proposals (RFP) to replace the CF-18, Dassault has decided to drop out of the running. This is despite the fact that the new RFP made it easier for European fighter manufacturers to compete . Unfortunately for Dassault, the new RFP still required the ability to integrate with existing NORAD and NATO infrastructure. Most notedly, encrypted communication. While the RFP did allow for additional leeway to meet this requirements, it does entail additional cost and risk. This was likely too much for Dassault. As unfortunate as this news is, it should not be that much of a surprise. Out of the five contenders, the Rafale was always the the "odd man out" when it came to compatibility. Dassault's insistence on French-sourced weapons and subsystems makes the Rafale a harder sell to other NATO nations, especially those with their own aerospace industry to support. Conversel