The Rafale is what a tonne or two lighter is it not? Slightly longer legged but not quite as fast but it's engines are more efficient, something like that? They also wanted a larger work share, and a true swing role aircraft. Which lets face it is where the Typhoon is now going (far far too late imho) and has got to go if we want to off load some of the Tranche 3 jets that we contractually obligated to buy to buy. I honestly think the French got the Rafale more right than we did with the Typhoon at least initially. I still think we as in the other Eurofighther nations nixed what the France wanted though as we all split off and started the Typhoon development from memory.