What We Do
F16F Ejection Seat
Designed for Rafale.
F16F For Rafale
5 lives saved using a F16F ejection seat.
Over 350 F16F ejection seats in service
New generation lightweight fighter aircraft, such as the Dassault Rafale, demand significant weight reduction for all their subsystems in order to achieve a lower aircraft total mass. The Mk16 ejection seat achieves its remarkably light weight by combining the twin catapult outer cylinder tubes as both propulsion system and as the seat’s primary structure. The Mk16 ejection seat design optimises pilot field of view and improves comfort and pilot efficiency.
Reliability and maintainability have been key elements in the design, resulting in an escape system that has full component accessibility in the cockpit. Modular construction enables the seat to be safely removed or installed in minutes without removing the aircraft cockpit canopy. These and other design features will ensure that the Mk16 generation of ejection seat succeeds the Martin-Baker Mk10 as the world’s most popular escape system.
Aircraft fitted: Rafale
| Operating ceiling | 65,000ft (19,812m) |
| Minimum height/speed | Zero/zero in near level attitude |
| Aircrew boarding mass range | 140lbs (63.5kg) to 233.7lbs (106.0kg) |
| Aircrew accommodation range | French Air Force specific aircrew size range 3 - 98%ile from AA153 – 84 |
| Maximum Speed for ejection | 625 KCAS |
| Drogue deployment | Cartridge initiated |
| Parachute deployment | Cartridge initiated |
| Parachute | IGQ 5000 aeroconical 4 colour parachute |
| Automatic back-up unit | Yes, BTRU with manual override available |
| Sequencer | Mechanical mode selector, used in combination with barostatic time-release unit |
| Barostatic time-release unit | Yes + g-restrictor, cartridge initiated |
| Propulsion | Ejection gun and Under Seat Rocket Motor Lateral thrust rocket motor |
| Harness | Gen 3 Integrated harness with ARZ QRB |
| System Initiation | Central handle on seat pan initiates gas operated seat firing system |
| Timers | Drogue Deployment Unit and Lock Release timers |
| Seat adjustment | Seat raising actuator providing compound angle for travel |
| Arm restraints | Yes, active Type II arm restraint system |
| Leg restraints | Passive Leg Restraint System |
| Oxygen supply | Connection to On Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS) Emergency oxygen cylinder Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) ventilator |
| NBC equipment | Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) ventilator |
| Personal Survival Pack (PSP) | Yes, automatic deployment and liferaft inflation via static line |
| Aircrew services | Aircrew services package, interface for Breathing gas; NBC ventilation supply; mic/tel; helmet mounted display (HMD) system interface |
| Canopy Jettison System (CJS) | No |
| Canopy Severance system (CSS) | Yes, Dassault supplied |
| Inter-seat Sequencing System (ISS) | Yes, 2 mode Dassault supplied |
