Paris – Saint-Cloud, July 13, 2026 – Dassault Aviation and Harmattan AI today announce the completion of an in-flight simulated joint engagement between a Rafale F4 and a drone carrying a NAMIB payload, a new electronic warfare product jointly developed by the two manufacturers.
NAMIB is an electronic warfare payload capable of detecting, identifying and localizing electromagnetic emissions, especially from air defense systems. It can be carried by tactical drones such as quadcopters, or by fixed-wing drones that have greater endurance. During a demonstration flight, NAMIB quietly detected a radar at a distance of several tens of kilometers with high accuracy. This location was transmitted to the Rafale, which then simulated firing on the target.
Development of NAMIB, which began in January 2026, is part of a strategic partnership between Dassault Aviation and Harmattan AI to integrate advanced autonomous capabilities into next-generation air combat systems.
“This flight highlights the real and concrete joint combat capabilities of Rafale in various environments. The F4 standard architecture allows for seamless interoperability with a very wide range of participants, including ground forces, and thus effectively exploit new functionality such as NAMIB functions in terms of electromagnetic detection and localization.” explain Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. It is also a new illustration of Rafale’s constant adaptation to new operational needs and, in this case, to the “high-low combination”, that is, the combination of complex systems with consumable and autonomous actuators..
“Electronic warfare has become a defining factor for operational excellence. With NAMIB, we are demonstrating that it is now possible to deploy these capabilities on lightweight autonomous systems, as close to the threat as possible. This success illustrates the complementarity between Dassault Aviation and Harmattan AI, combining expertise in air combat systems with our expertise in autonomy and airborne intelligence. Together, we are demonstrating that it is possible to accelerate the integration of breakthrough technologies to benefit the military and prepare the future of joint combat architecture today” said Muad M’Ghari, co-founder and CEO of Harmattan AI.