NAMIB DETECTS AND GEOLOCATES RADAR AT RANGE; RAFALE EXECUTES SIMULATED STRIKE

Dassault Aviation and Harmattan AI have announced the successful execution of a collaborative in-flight engagement between a Rafale F4 fighter aircraft and an unmanned aerial system (UAS) carrying the NAMIB payload — a new electronic warfare device jointly developed by the two companies since January 2026. During the flight, NAMIB discreetly detected and precisely geolocated a radar located several dozen kilometres from the UAS. The target’s location was then transmitted to the Rafale, which executed a simulated strike on the geolocated position.

Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, said the flight demonstrated the Rafale’s real and tangible multi-domain collaborative combat capabilities. He said the F4 standard architecture enabled seamless communication with a very broad range of operational assets — including ground forces — allowing it to effectively leverage new capabilities such as NAMIB’s electromagnetic detection and geolocation functions. He described the result as another illustration of the Rafale’s continuous adaptation to evolving operational requirements and, in this case, to the high-low mix concept — the combination of highly sophisticated crewed systems with autonomous and expendable effectors.

NAMIB: WHAT THE PAYLOAD DOES AND HOW IT IS CARRIED

NAMIB is an electronic warfare payload designed to detect, identify and geolocate electromagnetic emissions — in particular those from air defence systems. It is designed to be carried by tactical drones including quadcopters, as well as by longer-endurance fixed-wing unmanned aircraft, giving it operational flexibility across a range of deployment scenarios. The payload’s ability to operate on lightweight, relatively expendable platforms means it can be positioned close to threats that would be too dangerous for crewed aircraft to approach directly, gathering targeting-quality intelligence and transmitting it in real time to crewed platforms at stand-off range.

Mouad M’Ghari, Co-Founder and CEO of Harmattan AI, said electronic warfare had become a decisive factor in achieving operational superiority, and that through NAMIB, the companies were demonstrating that these capabilities could be deployed on lightweight autonomous systems operating close to the threat. He said the achievement highlighted the complementary strengths of Dassault Aviation — with its decades of experience in air combat systems — and Harmattan AI, with its expertise in autonomy and embedded intelligence, and that together they were demonstrating that it was possible to accelerate the integration of disruptive technologies for the benefit of armed forces and lay the groundwork for the collaborative combat architectures of tomorrow.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR COLLABORATIVE COMBAT DOCTRINE

The NAMIB flight is a practical demonstration of the Loyal Wingman and collaborative combat concepts that have been a significant focus of advanced air force development globally in recent years. The core principle — a crewed high-performance fighter leveraging sensor data from an autonomous, lower-cost platform operating in a contested environment — reduces risk to crewed aircraft and pilots while expanding the sensor and targeting reach of the formation. Harmattan AI, which operates across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, develops mission-ready autonomous systems across air defence, ISR, strike, electronic warfare and command and control for Western and allied defence customers.