What I like with your posts (no flattery meant) is that at least they are substantiated by some level of technical meaning and not pure flame baits, let's debate then...

 Define LO for a start:

  EM LO.

  IR LO.

   Visual LO.

  EME LO.

    I don?t know which one of us told you that Rafale was L.O, how he putted it and in which contest, but in a sense he was right, L.O is not so hard to achieve in terms of signature management, in only MEAN Low-Observable, as opposed to VLO in the case of F-22.

   Where I think you lack in information is in the assumption that Rafale is not as LO as F/A-18, which is wrong.

  Aligning two vertical fins to the inlets lateral surfaces and adding S-Shaped gloves to them doesn't make F/A18 RCS lower than that of Rafale.

   Especially because it possesses two fins instead of one and uses more EM reflective materials in their construction by virtue of aerodynamic stress in this particular area, a problem Rafale doesn't have by design.

  Material (Beams, spars, skin and their thickness) is fully part of design for RCS reduction.

  Leading edge and trailing edge sweep is also a LO feature designed to reduce RCS.

 Wing/fuselage position and junctions are also known to reduce RCS.

 You can hardly compare F/A-18 to  F-22  at least for where the frontal aspect is concerned, but Rafale and F-22 have a similar leading edge sweep by a few of degrees, 48* vs 42* to be precise, while YF 22 leading edge sweep was ALSO 48*.

  I haven?t been looking at the rear aspect (trailing edge) but I know for a fact that the serrated surfaces between the two M88 are designed to reduce EM return.

 For the overall shape, I invite you to try to superimpose the front cross section of a Rafale on top of that of a YF-23.

 Rafale posses these features but also a little more than that, such as serrated surfaces at EM spike locations which dissipates EM energy instead of reflecting it, trailing edges, doors, engine/fuselage junction etc.

 
 IR signature management is also part of the equation.

  At this level Rafale beats every single US aircraft including F-35 (but not F-22 which posses TVC).

 The M 88 which people love to bash-up on the ground of its TWR only, possesses an extra cooling channel and set of con-di-nozzles to Ram-cool its external casing but also its airflow, while the second set of con-di is more prominent and shields the hot airflow from view under angles only F-22 can better.

  Rafale D  for "Discret" was the first serie-Rafale to be rolled-out, what you know about its signature management features is probably very incomplete.

  For example it was painted with a paint which was expected to be reducing radar return but had the disadvantage to be black.

  This paint was developed further to include reduction of visual range detection, it have some form of "chameleon" effect as you can see for yourself in the change of tone depending on weather cast, it makes it all the more difficult to spot and track visually against the sky in any kind of weather.

  I know little more about the RAM characteristics of this paint all I can tell you is that it took years to develop before been applied to the serie aircrafts and that it would not be RAM I wouldn't know it either, so I doubt you know more than we do.

 
 I could not possibly comment on the issue of EM Emission LO as these are highly classified but to summarize you can expect a company such as Thales to be at the top of the technology since they are specialized in it and Rafale pilots uses EM emission discretion very efficiently too, this is known to be part of a new, developing Squadron culture...

  So no I wouldn't assume that Rafale is MORE EM LO than F/A-18 because I know whish were the features included in its design to reduce its RCS and this can hardly be quantified by you or me, but I know for a FACT that Rafale IR LO is greater as well as its Visual LO, being slightly smaller, more compact and with a paint designed

  I think you continue to ignore FACTS as presented to you; in particular in the topics of shapes, materials and wing sweep, please don?t tell us it doesn't count because F-22 is the best example that these issues DOES matter.

   Your assumptions are based on the absence of knowledge of both aircrafts, their politico-industrial and development histories.

  As for the part related on the mission profiles you just forget that the only one in western service to compete vs Rafale in terms of low-level high/speed performances at full load is the F-15 K, the F/A-18 is a tad underpowered to achieve this and cannot come anywhere close to compete with these two at low level and high speed.

  AdA doctrine of use for this sort of mission doesn't mean anything in terms of LO features, terrain masking had always been used as far as I know from the first Mirage IIIE Squadron equipped with the first European Doppler Radar, the Cyrano IV.

  The only exception to this was the Mirage IV which was capable of sustained M 2.0+ flight for hours and still detains the European speed/distance record today.

  You visibly do not understand the way AdA works their strike missions and the reasons why, there is little wrong with this,  assuming a higher level of EM LO for F/A-18 which it purely technical terms is FAR from being clear cut is wrong.

  More to it, LO doesn't resolves around EM signature alone and neither you no myself can truly compute it, all we can do is count the number of known stealth EM features including all aspect of it which means knowing  at least the minimum on the aircraft structural materials, which you don't.

  Simple math, two fins with magnesium spars vs one fully composite need more EM reduction measure to keep F/A-18 low...

   At this level your assumptions are already wrong without even mentioning wing sweeps, and when it comes to OVERAL LO, Rafale is visibly more discreet than F/A-18 because it possesses features in the IR, visible and EME range that F/A-18 doesn't have, apart for the AESA radar and even so, Boeing is planning to fit the future SuperHornet with an A2A IRST for some good reasons...

 Thinking is not enough.

  I think not and demonstrates duly and clearly why, with technical arguments that have little to be opposed to because they not only are valid, they also are proven and documented.

 F/A-18 is far from having the number of EM reduction features of a Rafale when it comes to the most reflective of them in the frontal area, wings and control surfaces including FIN materials.

  Now if you can elaborate and proves this points wrong it will do some good to the value of your PoV, for the time being I regard it a being totally unfunded and resting on non-validated grounds.

 I await your technical points with interests and please do care to validate them with proper sources.

 Regards, PlG