Designed and built by Dassault of France in the mid-1980s, the Rafale is considered a multi-role warplane. Reaching Mach 2.0 or 1,321 mph at maximum speed and weighing less than many of its contemporaries, the Rafale was the preferred aircraft for the French armed forces during the Cold War. It is equipped with one 30 mm DEFA 791B cannon, capacity to carry 17,637 pounds of additional armament, and could be single or double-seat based on version.