Ah, cheers mate - I thought I'd heard about that somewhere - though the article never mentoned 'complete redesign'!
Have to say, the Rafale is a beautiful, highly capable jet - I think it would be an excellent choice for the FAA.
Alternatively, both the Aussies and the Canadians, our Commonwealth partners, and not least the US Forces, use F-18 variants, so would it be better for us to maintain commonality with our 'main allies'?