French developer AzurPoly continues to make progress on its upcoming Dassault Rafale for Microsoft Flight Simulator. In a recently posted video, we get our first walk-around views of the upcoming multirole fighter aircraft being developed in partnership with JFEXP (Jet Fighter Experience) and officially licensed by Dassault. In the nearly 6-minute video, produced and narrated by flightsim YouTuber, PracticallyGeek, we see details of a clean, “factory-fresh” version of the Rafale, including the aircraft exterior, engines, and electronic warfare (EW) features, as well as the load-out capabilities of the EFB tablet interface.
Called one of the most ambitious projects carried out to date around modern fighter aviation in the simulator, the AzurPoly Rafale package will include the two-seater Rafale B, the single-seat combat Rafale C, and the naval Rafale M. AzurPoly has gone to great lengths to reproduce the Rafale’s signature delta-wing and canard design, and the details look stunning. The video explains that while the team has faced limitations with simulating delta-wing physics in MSFS, they have implemented a custom fly-by-wire system to achieve realistic handling.
The video walkaround concludes by demonstrating the EFB’s capabilities for the on-the-fly loading of weapons stores. According to AzurPoly, the Rafale will feature a wide array of armament options, including the MICA, Meteor, and AASM missiles, which together form the “holy trinity” of the Rafale’s multi-role arsenal. Pre-designated loadouts can be selected in the EFB for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, or each hardpoint can be independently controlled via the EFB. Not to be overlooked during the video is the custom sound set created specifically for the aircraft by Echo19.
As an officially licensed Dassault product, the Rafale follows on the heels of AzurPoly’s SEPECAT Jaguar, released nearly a year ago, which, at the time, was the first officially licensed Dassault military aircraft ever developed for public flight simulation. Based on what we know so far, the Rafale is currently being developed specifically for MSFS2024 on PC and Xbox. Though an MSFS2020 version may be offered after release, based on demand, similar to the approach AzurPoly took with its SEPECAT Jaguar.
The Rafale was originally expected to be released in late 2025. However, Dassault has recently updated its product page to now indicate release in the first quarter of 2026. However, according to an update posted by AzurPoly, work is ongoing and “A large part of the systems, avionics, and advanced functionalities are still in active development and will be revealed progressively.” But, based on how things look in the video, the wait will certainly be worth it. Stay tuned to FSElite as more details are provided.
