Know Your 'Rafale'

Armand2REP

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We already saw the best of Russian AESA technology during MRCA trials. With it failing to acquire and track targets at the specified ranges, it performed worse than the PESA Zhuk ME.

That is a PESA radar so it isn't delving into fixing their AESA array problems. Russia has yet to demonstrate the ability to shrink their T/R modules small enough to fit 1500 into it. I am basing my opinion on the latest demonstration of Russian AESA technology which = failed.
 

p2prada

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We already saw the best of Russian AESA technology during MRCA trials. With it failing to acquire and track targets at the specified ranges, it performed worse than the PESA Zhuk ME.
A failure in the past may not equate to failure in the future as well. Let's not forget the radar they fielded was a prototype. If you think their first showing was a failure then it may be so. Their first Flanker model was a failure too. But look at the Flanker today.

That is a PESA radar so it isn't delving into fixing their AESA array problems. Russia has yet to demonstrate the ability to shrink their T/R modules small enough to fit 1500 into it. I am basing my opinion on the latest demonstration of Russian AESA technology which = failed.
Your assumption is completely wrong. Look at the figure I posted for the Zhuk MFS. It has 1662 modules on a 0.98m dia even though it is a PESA. Even Bars has a large number of radiating elements like the ones you find on AESA radars.

Btw, this seems to be their new AESA,


A gold dielectric film is placed over it to give it that glow. It seems the one they showed in MAKS-2009 was a NIIP AESA radar.

The same radar with a gold film,


But it looks so similar to the Irbis-E PESA,


As though the radiating elements used are the same on both Irbis-E and the Irbis AESA with the exception that the T/R modules have their own power source on the AESA version.

IAF has evaluated all other available AESA radars like the RBE-2AA, APG-79 and APG-80, apart from technical specs of the CAESAR(which the Brits consider better than APG-77). This would mean IAF has an idea on what they want their new radar to do. If IAF thinks Zhuk A conforms to requirements then there is no doubt it was a success. Then again, maybe IAF will go for an AESA version of the Bars which seems to be more logical than Phazatron.
 

p2prada

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Zhuk ME isn't a PESA, it has a planar array. Zhuk A was supposed to match the performance of the 2008 version of Bars or even the RBE-2 AA. Even if it fell short of it's goal, it will still exceed the performance of the first version of Bars, Zhuk ME or the RBE-2 by a long margin.

IAF's supposed requirement was to track a 3m2 target at 130Km. All radars exceeded this goal while Zhuk ME probably tracks a 3m2 target at 100Km. It is possible, the Zhuk A fell short of other radars in the competition. However they may have possibly used Super Hornet as a benchmark, like the Swiss did, or maybe even the MKI. We won't know that. Perhaps IAF requirement was as high as Bars, which would mean the Zhuk-A must have fallen short of it and seems highly probable.
 

Armand2REP

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Honestly, trying to equate PESA elements to AESA is like apples and oranges. Having a 1600 element PESA array is rather pointless when it acts as one scanning device and not 1600 individually tasked modules. The challenges it provides for acquisition and tracking with 600 T/R modules proved too difficult for Phazotron to fix,

Zhuk ME is PESA, it has a slotted array. Zhuk AE failed to get the ranges. How is that better than a working ME since you don't know what it's actual range was? .
 

p2prada

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Honestly, trying to equate PESA elements to AESA is like apples and oranges. Having a 1600 element PESA array is rather pointless when it acts as one scanning device and not 1600 individually tasked modules. The challenges it provides for acquisition and tracking with 600 T/R modules proved too difficult for Phazotron to fix,
When it comes to miniaturizing Russia has been building radiating elements that small since the last 2 decades. As for Phazatron's failure at the trials, that was only a prototype and the benchmark must have been too high.

The radiating elements do function independently. While AESA modules are able to use different frequencies and phase, the PESA modules change only phase. But all 1600 can work individually based on the software. The beams are sent out at different phases and they receive at these independent modules. It is just that the power supplied is from only one source as compared to AESA. The second toughest aspect in developing an AESA after the T/R modules is cooling, something which PESA does not worry about as much.

The NIIP Irbis-E and perhaps the AESA version demonstrate that Russia did manage to get their AESA working. If IAF inducts it, then that's that.

Zhuk AE failed to get the ranges. How is that better than a working ME since you don't know what it's actual range was? .
The Zhuk A (FGA-35) is said to track 64 targets, engage 16 and have radiating elements of 1000+ on a 700mm antenna, which seems to be quite normal. It should demonstrate a radar range that exceeds Bars if built on 7-10W T/Rs. This is as advertised. Even if the goal is not reached, it will still exceed MEs capability.

You are still hung up on a prototype. The FGA-35 wasn't demonstrated in the MRCA. Comparatively the RBE-2AA prototype would not have exceeded the APG-79 or even the APG-80. You see I am not hung up on prototype demonstrations as the base for future models. Production variants, especially when it comes to Russia, far exceed the prototype version. Heck the LCA PV-1 is like a bus compared to LSP-8. You can say Russian AESA industry is behind France, but noway is it completely outclassed. You just need to observe how Russian/Indian/Chinese designs evolve from prototype to production stage. It is completely different from how the west develops stuff.

The first version of Bars is only slightly better than the Zhuk ME when it comes to tracking a target. 120Km for a 5m2 target on the ME compared to 120-130Km for a 3m2 target on the Bars. But today the Bars has undergone three phases of evolution on the MKI alone followed by a major upgrade which doubled everything and will follow up with a new upgrade which will double everything again, right from power to gain to performance. Today's Bars can track a 3m2 target at 180Km. Tomorrows Bars will track the same target at 400Km. By then RBE-2AA will do what the Bars of today is doing, maybe a little better. This is how Russia has been evolving the technology it produces since always. A Bars AESA once deployed operationally will be the first AESA on a gimbal mechanism, followed by the CAESAR in 2015.
 
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Armand2REP

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A PESA radar can only work on one frequency at a time so the radiating elements cannot work independently. The most difficult part of developing an AESA array is integrating T/R modules with complex algorithms to steer them. It is far more complex than the simple single frequency PESA. The next challenge is cooling the much higher power of the array.

The Irbis-E is a PESA, so again it doesn't translate into what you need to make an AESA array.

You don't get hung up on prototypes but it is really the best Russia has to offer. France was the only non-US country to bring a production AESA to the trials and won; in large part to its radar technology and independence. If Russia had it, GoI would flock to their Russian friends long before France. India is turning to us because we have the technology the Russians are unable to develop. No, the Russians don't develop all that differently from France. The difference is France succeeds while Russia is unable to complete their designs. It is evident in most of what they do and are forced to develop the hell out of last generation technology. They develop PESA to its limits... why? Because they can't fix their AESA.
 

p2prada

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A PESA radar can only work on one frequency at a time so the radiating elements cannot work independently.
They do work independently.

The most difficult part of developing an AESA array is integrating T/R modules with complex algorithms to steer them.
PESA modules can also steer. You are talking about a slotted planar array like the Zhuk ME. Try to read up on beam steering.

It is far more complex than the simple single frequency PESA. The next challenge is cooling the much higher power of the array.
You are looking at it the wrong way. A passive PAR and an active PAR have a similar structure when it comes to radiating elements. It is just that in an AESA, the modules are active while PESA modules are passive, passive meaning they don't deliver independent power. Pretty much everything is the same when it comes to operation of either radar.

Radar Basics - Phased Array Antenna

The Irbis-E is a PESA, so again it doesn't translate into what you need to make an AESA array.
Why? The RBE-2 was converted from PESA to AESA the same way. Remove passive components, remove the TWT and connections to the components, replace with active components and increase cooling. That's pretty much it. Easier said than done, but that's about it.

You don't get hung up on prototypes but it is really the best Russia has to offer.
Does not seem like it.

France was the only non-US country to bring a production AESA to the trials and won; in large part to its radar technology and independence.
You are ahead of Russia in operationalizing the radar, but not very far. The PAKFA is already flying with a prototype of the Irbis AESA. For all we know, the FOC of RBE-2AA and Irbis-AESA will end up being at similar dates.

If Russia had it, GoI would flock to their Russian friends long before France.
Nope. We don't turn to Russia simply because they have something. Don't forget the MRCA deal was always meant for the Mirage-2000.

India is turning to us because we have the technology the Russians are unable to develop.
Is that why we have a PAKFA program with them?

No, the Russians don't develop all that differently from France.
Huh! There are differences when it comes to the development cycle, prototype to production. Russians evolve their designs over many years from prototype to production while US and France develop the first prototype as a close cousin of the final product. UK too.

The Flanker flew a few years before Rafale, but the Flanker started off as an air superiority fighter and then slowly evolved to the MKI over 20 years. You don't see that with Rafale. Rafale started as a multirole aircraft and ended with the same design over the last 20 years. EF-2000 as well. F-15 and F-18 evolved over 30-40 years instead.

The difference is France succeeds while Russia is unable to complete their designs.
There are a lot of things Russia has developed that France does not yet have an equivalent. Similarly France has similar products.

It is evident in most of what they do and are forced to develop the hell out of last generation technology. They develop PESA to its limits... why? Because they can't fix their AESA.
Funding is an issue. You can say they have problems with AESA, but it seems to be turning around. Like I said, if IAF accepts the Bars AESA, then it is bound to be better than what we are getting from the MRCA deal.
 

asianobserve

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Funding is an issue. You can say they have problems with AESA, but it seems to be turning around. Like I said, if IAF accepts the Bars AESA, then it is bound to be better than what we are getting from the MRCA deal.

Why long for something that is still beyond the horizon when there are already proven and in production AESAs? I think the French can easily upgrade their already existing AESA into an even more powerful variant in the coming years while Russia is still perfecting its entry level AESA...

(My 2 cents)
 

p2prada

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Why long for something that is still beyond the horizon when there are already proven and in production AESAs? I think the French can easily upgrade their already existing AESA into an even more powerful variant in the coming years while Russia is still perfecting its entry level AESA...

(My 2 cents)
Both RBE-2AA and Irbis/Bars AESA are entry level AESAs for both countries. Both countries tinkered with PESAs at similar times too. The French have never developed a production radar on a large diameter array. Russia has experience with 450mm arrays to 1400mm arrays.

If you compare Russia/France with the US then it makes sense. Otherwise, both countries are pretty much at the same place when it comes to AESA radars. Btw, there is a chance the FOC of both radars may end up being at a similar time, at least same year.

RBE-2AA achieved IOC and will probably achieve FOC next year end when ALA will receive 5 Rafale's with the radars with an operational squadron at the end of 2014. First flight of IOC radar on Rafale was in April 2012. NIIP AESA on PAKFA has been flying since last November 2011, 5 months before RBE-2AAs first Rafale flight. Only slightly behind.

So, the timelines are quite well matched along with radar development because both countries upgraded earlier PESA models to AESA. Apart from that both countries tested the radars on other platforms. The Russians tested the radar on Flankers while the French did theirs on Mirage-2000 and Mystere. The French are ahead because their first radar had American T/R modules replaced by the ones made by Thales 2 years later. Russians have no such supplier. This gave the French ample amount of time to develop the radar software and other hardware aspects.

It is really simple once facts are placed on the table. Compared to France, Russia developed a prototype model of the T/Rs much before France by testing the Zhuk AE in 2006 and public demonstration in 2007(India) while the RBE-2 shown in 2008 with 853 modules were American modules. Thales modules came for tests only in 2009-10.

The problem with Mig-35 during the MRCA was that they entered the competition with the FGA-29 with 680 modules while they developed the FGA-35 with 1000+modules only in 2010, that was well after the bids were submitted. So, IAF can only read the tech specs of the FGA-35 as compared to RBE-2AA which came with American components during the bid. You see how well the timelines are matched for Russian and French development of T/R modules.

One area where Thales appears to be ahead is in ground based AESA radars. But that's because we don't know much about Russian development in such radars meant for S-400/500 or elsewhere. The Russian defence industry isn't allowed to showcase weapons in defence exhibitions unless they are meant for export while other countries including India have no such issues.
 

Drsomnath999

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First firing of the weapon system evaluation C135/Rafale/ASMPA

Tuesday, June 19, 2012, the strategic air forces have carried out successfully, the first launch of assessing strengths (TEF) of the weapon system C135/Rafale/missile air medium-range ground improved (ASMPA) Representative operation of a real mission.


The crew of the fighter squadron 1/91 "Gascogne" took off from the airbase 113 Saint-Dizier. For five hours, the raid brought together all the important phases of flight: high altitude, low altitude penetration, terrain following, in-flight refueling tanker aircraft ... The C135 group AAR 2/91 "Britain" offers the endurance necessary to lengthen the strategic. After five hours of flight, the crew pulled the ASMPA (without nuclear warhead).

From the center "missile tests" of the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) in Biscarrosse, the civil and military authorities have tracked the evolution of the missile which has complied in every respect, the expected flight profile. This complex operation that brings together staff and resources of the Air Force, the DGA, industrial MBDA, the Atomic Energy Commission and Alternative Energies and the Navy (for the surveillance of the area including sea) is a success that embodies the performance of this weapon system. Guarantees the credibility of the technical-operational airborne component, the EFT transaction demonstrates the ability of all of this strategic tool, technical and human resources, implementing the mission of nuclear deterrence provided continuously for nearly fifty years by strategic air forces.
Google Traduction
 

p2prada

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A good article on Rafale. It's a long one.

The Rafale is poised to become Europe's premier fighter-bomber
by Michal Fiszer
Jun. 6, 2005

France's Rafale is the most capable aircraft of the three new-generation fighters developed in Europe over the last two decades. Although the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Saab Gripen are all currently being developed as multirole aircraft, only in the case of the first were strike capabilities made a priority from the very beginning of the program. The remaining two were initially optimized for air-to-air missions, with attack capabilities added later. When current conflicts demand mainly air-to-ground capabilities, the Rafale (the name means "squall") better fits those requirements, being a true strike fighter by its very nature, and it is not any worse in air combat than its two European competitors. Various circumstances dictated that that Rafale would be fully multirole, while the Gripen and Typhoon are fighters with strike capabilities. Dassault goes even farther and calls its aircraft "omni-role," which means that Rafale can perform ground-attack and air-combat tasks in one sortie

The requirement for stealth led to redesigning the fuselage, which produced Rafale's characteristic shape. The radar-absorbent materials initially used caused the dark color of the Rafale C prototype (shown here), but later special electromagnetic-transparent paints were developed so the aircraft could receive any color scheme.

This is not to say that the Rafale's superiority as a European air-combat platform is absolute. There are many factors that weigh against the aircraft, chiefly complexity and cost. Moreover, not every nation has the same requirements for its air arm, and there are many qualities to recommend the Typhoon and Gripen, not to mention comparable candidates from Russia and the US. To date, no foreign customer for the Rafale has been found, while Saab already has three export customers for Gripen – the Czech Republic, Hungary, and South Africa – and even Eurofighter has found an export sale outside of its consortium membership – as of now, though, only to Austria. One could ask why such a capable and technically successful aircraft as the Rafale has had such a difficult road. Perhaps the Rafale is "over qualified," and potential customers, including France, do not wish to pay for capabilities that they do not need.

Nevertheless, as we shall see, a combination of good planning and good fortune has conspired to place the Rafale at the forefront of European tactical aircraft.

Early Development

Initial studies for an Avion de Combat Tactique (ACT; Tactical Combat Aircraft) started at the French Ministry of Aviation as early as in 1975. At this early stage, the aircraft was to be a prospective supplement to the Mirage 2000, which first flew in 1978. The Mirage 2000 was to be a light fighter in the F-16 class, optimized for air defense and related tasks, while the ACT was to be a heavier and more capable aircraft, optimized for ground attack, reconnaissance, and air superiority. Among the authors of these early requirements, called ACT 92 (1992 was the year of expected service entry), was LtCol Vincent Lanata, later Chief of Staff of the French Air Force.

Initial studies for an Avion de Combat Tactique (ACT; Tactical Combat Aircraft) started at the French Ministry of Aviation as early as 1975. Early efforts to cooperate with the Anglo-German effort that would lead to Eurofighter did not pan out, and the French pursued the ACT on their own. The French had a requirement for a multirole aircraft, and the Rafale's unique "omni-role" nature is a function of this. Pictured here is the Rafale B.

The UK and Germany initiated an international consortium to develop a future multirole aircraft in 1977. It was even agreed that the aircraft would be a two-engine, single-seat multirole fighter with a delta wing and front horizontal control surfaces (canards). The aerodynamic layout was actually proposed by France, which joined the consortium. However, due to conflicting requirements, cooperation ended in the spring of 1981. Germany wanted to build an air-defense and air-superiority fighter; the UK wanted to build a heavy multirole aircraft with an emphasis on air-to-air missions; while France wanted a lighter multirole fighter with the emphasis on air-to-ground missions. Finally, the common development effort split into the French ACT 92 and the German-British European Combat Fighter (ECF), resulting from the British Air Staff Target (AST) 403 and German Taktisches Kampfflugzeug (TKF) 90 requirements. The ECF finally evolved into the four-nation (with Italy and Spain) Eurofighter Typhoon, and France decided to proceed with ACT 92 on its own.

On Oct. 30, 1978, Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet (presently Dassault Aviation, Paris, France) received an initial contract for the development of the ACT 92 project, supplemented on December 20 by a contract for its naval version. In 1979, more serious studies about possible configurations of the new aircraft were undertaken by the Office National d'Études de Recherches Aéronautiques (ONERA; the National Office for Aviation Studies and Research). The project was conducted under the codename Rapace – bird of prey. In March 1980, Dassault-Breguet started studying four aerodynamic configurations, all with canards and delta wings. Two had a single vertical tail fin, while the others had double vertical fins.

Ten of the first production batch of F1-standard aircraft built were Rafale M naval single-seat fighters, eight of which equip the 12F Squadron (shown here), replacing obsolete Vought F-8E(FN) Crusader fighters. Total requirements of the French Navy call for 60 aircraft (all single-seat Rafale Ms), and the French Air Force ultimately is to procure 95 Rafale C single-seat and 140 Rafale B two-seat fighters.

In October 1982, Charles Hernu, the French minister of defense, announced that Dassault-Breguet would build a technology demonstrator called the Avion de Combat Epérimental (ACX; Experimental Combat Aircraft), based on the ACT 92 study. On April 13, 1983, it was decided that the ACX would be built according to the project prepared at Dassault Technical Department and headed by Bruno Revellin-Falcoz. The design team was led by Jean-Jacques Samin and Claude Hironde. The Dassault-Breguet proposal was prepared in close cooperation with ONERA, the Ministry of the Air Force, and the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement (DGA; France's top military-procurement authority). In September 1984, the French government, acknowledging that other countries' requirements were too far apart from French operational needs, decided to build a combat version of the ACX with the newly designed Snecma M88 engines. The proposal totally eliminated any hope that France cold be lured back into the ECF program, since those specifications were not acceptable to Germany and the UK.

The new aircraft was named the Rafale by Dassault, and the ACX technology demonstrator became Rafale A. Among the requirements for the new aircraft, three elements were especially interesting: the decision to design the aircraft with the use of available stealth technologies, while keeping the accepted aerodynamic lay-out, including radar-absorbing materials (RAMs), shaping of some features (such as the fuselage, inlets, etc.), and extensive use of composite materials; the decision to equip the aircraft with a glass cockpit and employ a hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS) and fly-by-wire controls; and the decision to integrate all of the avionics, navigation, fire-control, and self-protection equipment into a single system controlled by a central mission computer.

The requirement for stealth led to redesigning the fuselage, which produced the Rafale's present characteristic shape. A single air intake was split into two side-mounted intakes that were carefully shaped to prevent an enemy's radar from observing Rafale from the front hemisphere by getting returns off the moving parts of compressors. The vertical fin was made of electromagnetic (EM)- transparent composites. The RAMs initially used caused the black color of the Rafale C prototype, but special EM-transparent paints were later developed so the aircraft could receive any color scheme. All of those undertakings dramatically reduced the radar cross-section (RCS) of the Rafale, especially from the front. It is very difficult to assess the Rafale's RCS due to the high level of classification, but sources have unofficially said that Rafale has a much lower RCS than the Typhoon, a fighter of roughly the same size.

Initially, a more stealthy version of Rafale was to be developed. It was named Rafale D (D for "discret," or stealth) and was to be built in land-based and naval versions. But it was later decided that the serial Rafale would be of reduced overall size and that, with the end of the Cold War, such high levels of stealthiness would not be required.

In the spring of 2002, 12F Squadron became operational, and with seven Rafales, it deployed aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (shown here), which went to the Indian Ocean in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While the Rafales were not combat ready, they did engage in mock air combat with US Navy F-14 and F/A-18 fighters. By all accounts, the Rafales put in an impressive performance. In March 2004, Charles de Gaulle again set off to the Indian Ocean, where her embarked Rafale squadron took part in the Northwind 2004 joint exercises with Mirage 2000-9s of the UAE. Later, the aircraft took part in the Varuna exercise conducted with the Indian Navy, and Rafales were matched against Indian Sea Harrier FRS.51s. Another exercise, Red Shark, conducted with Saudi Arabia, enabled Rafales to conduct practice engagements against Saudi Tornado F3s.
Building of the Rafale A technology demonstrator started at Dassault's Saint-Cloud factory in March 1984, before a contract with the DGA was signed. It was temporarily powered by General Electric F404-GE-400 engines (68.8 kN of reheated thrust each). The first flight took place at Istres on July 4, 1986. Four years later, the aircraft was re-engined with Snecma M88-2 engines with 72.9 kN of thrust each. The Rafale A was used for tests until 1994.

Progress in electronics enabled a reduction in the size of the Rafale's airframe. This resulted in an even lower RCS. It is also worth emphasizing that the smaller and lighter airframe used in production Rafales enables them to fly in "supercruise" mode – supersonic flight without the use of afterburners. Supercruise enables the aircraft to execute a part of the ingress and/or egress route at supersonic speed without serious penalty to its tactical radius.

Rafales of the F2 standard can carry an assortment of precision-guided weapons, including laser-guided bombs (shown here, on a Rafale B), Apache stand-off missiles, and SCALP cruise missiles. Future enhancements will enable Rafale to carry anti-ship missiles and other strike weapons, including the nuclear-armed ASMP-A missile.

Four such redesigned pre-production aircraft were built: a Rafale C single-seater for Air Force, a Rafale M single seater for the Navy, a Rafale B two-seater for the Air Force, and a Rafale M two-seater for Navy. They were first flown on May 19, 1991; Dec. 12, 1991; April 30, 1993; and Nov. 8, 1993, respectively. The Rafale B was the first aircraft to receive the newly developed Thomson-CSF and Dassault Electronique (now merged into Thales) Radar à Bayalage Electronoique Deux Plans (RBE2; Radar With Two-Axis Electronic Scan), the Spectra self-protection system, and the final version of the F1 standard avionics and navigation system. The use of the two-seater made tests of the aircraft's electronics systems easier. (Note that the designation Rafale M for the pre-production two-seater is confusing, because the designation Rafale N had been reserved for such aircraft.)

All Rafale production versions are incrementally divided into four standards, called F1, F2, F3, and F4 in France, and also referred as Block 01, Block 5, Block 10, and Block 15 for export purposes. All of the land-based Rafales have 14 hardpoints for external weapons. The naval Rafale M has thirteen hardpoints due to the reinforcement of the fuselage structure for carrier operations, so it has one central fuselage station instead of two in tandem. The F1 can carry up to 10 MICA EM and Magic-2 air-to-air missiles (6+4, or 5+4 in the naval version). Interestingly, F1 aircraft do no carry MICA IR missiles. The central fuselage stations are intended for MICA missiles, while the rear station can accept a drop tank. Four additional stations are mounted on the fuselage sides – the rear pair for MICA missiles and the left front for the Damocles targeting pod (used in F2 and above aircraft). Six additional stations under the wings can be used for two drop tanks and four MICA missiles. The outer stations and wingtip stations can be used only for Magic-2 infrared-guided short-range missiles.

The Rafale is equipped with a single 30mm GIAT 791B cannon mounted on the right engine duct. The gun has a rate of fire of 2,500 rounds per minute, and the fighter carries 125 rounds of ammunition.

Sensors and Electronics

The RBE2 radar had been in development since 1989. It was decided that the radar would receive a new phased-array antenna with full electronic scan, instead of the electro-mechanical scan employed by the Eurofighter Typhoon's Captor radar. Initially, the radar received a passive phased-array antenna, but ultimately an active electronically scanned array (AESA) will be fitted. According to French Ministry of Defense (MoD) sources, the RBE2 radar has a modest range about 100 km against fighter aircraft, but it operates in a low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) mode and is resistant to deception jamming. The Typhoon's Captor has a range of 160 km against fighters but is considered more prone to jamming and can track fewer targets. The French Air Force accepted the penalty in range reduction for the benefits of LPI and other characteristics. Moreover, in network-centric operations, a common air picture will be transmitted via the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) to the Rafale, enabling the aircraft to make use of off-board sensors.

According to Thales, the radar operates in the X band and can use low, medium, and high pulse-repetition frequencies. It can track up to 40 air targets in track-while-scan mode and, according to an unofficial source, can engage up to eight of them with missiles launched in short intervals. Normally up to six (five on the naval Rafale M) MBDA (Paris, France) MICA EM missiles can be carried. An unusual feature of the infrared-seeking MICA IR version is that the missile can receive mid-course update commands from the radar to compare the target location with the location of its seeker's track or for lock-after-launch engagements. The effective range of both the infrared- and radar-homing missile versions, therefore, reaches 70 km. Electronic beam steering enables the RBE2 radar to search the airspace in various patterns, probably up to 60 degrees in any direction from the fixed antenna axis. The radar enables not only track while scan but also so-called "track here while scan there." For example, the RBE2 can readily track airborne targets while searching for another airborne target in another sector. The radar performs automatic prioritization of threat targets and has the ability to discriminate a single aircraft in a group in raid-assessment mode. The F1 standard radar has no air-to-ground functions.

The Rafale's RBE2 radar has a modest range of about 100 km against fighter aircraft, but it operates in a low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) mode and is resistant to deception jamming. The French Air Force accepted the penalty in range reduction for the benefits of LPI and other characteristics. Moreover, in network-centric operations, a common air picture will be transmitted via the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) to the Rafale, enabling the aircraft to make use of off-board sensors. This Rafale B carries an assortment of MICA EM (inboard) and Magic-2 (outboard) air-to-air missiles.

The AESA radar is not being incorporated into the F3 standard. The development of the AESA version of the RBE2 radar started officially in April 2002, when the DGA awarded Thales a contract for development of an active-array radar demonstrator optimized for the Rafale. Called the Démonstrateur Radar à Antenne Active (DRAA; Active Array Radar Demonstrator), the program culminated in a series of demanding flight tests to validate the system's detection performance. In December 2002, the first flight of the AESA system was carried out in a Mystere XX flying testbed belonging to the French MoD and located at the Flight Test Center at Cazaux. Subsequently, the DRAA was fitted to the two-seat production Rafale B301, which flew with it for the first time in May 2003. The next step is now the Démonstrateur Radar à Antenne Active Modes Avancés (DRAAMA; Advanced Modes Active Array Radar Demonstrator) program, which was officially launched by the DGA in July 2004. The DRAAMA will be entirely new and will benefit from the latest developments in radar and solid-state technology. It is possible that the AESA radar will be introduced with the F4 standard and/or will form an upgrade package for earlier aircraft.

The Spectra [Système de Protection et d'Evitement des Conduites de Tir du Rafale] self-protection suite has been integrated by Thales, but it consists of elements built by various companies. The Spectra consists of a radar-warning receiver (RWR), missile-launch-warning system (MLWS), laser-warning receivers (LWS), a management computer, four chaff/flare dispensers, and a built-in jammer, all integrated into a single automatic system. The RWR and active jamming system were developed by Dassault Electronique (presently Thales) and are integrated as the Détection et Brouillage Electromagnétique (DBEM) system. According to an unofficial source, in the F1 standard, the DBEM can detect transmitters over the frequency range of 2-18 GHz, but this was increased to 2-40 GHz on the F2 standard. The system has a very high accuracy of up to one degree in azimuth. The DBEM automatically detects, classifies, and identifies emitters and inputs information about them into the computer. The Spectra's active jamming subsystem uses phased-array antennas located at the roots of the canards. Reportedly, the antennas can produce a pencil beam compatible with the accuracy of the receiver system, concentrating power on the threat while minimizing the chances of detection. It also uses other low-probability-of-detection techniques, so the Rafale's electronic-countermeasures (ECM) capability is also compatible with its stealth requirements. The MLWS was developed by Matra (presently MBDA) and is called the Détecteur infrarouge de Départ de Missiles (DDM; missile-launch-detection system). It works in two infrared (IR) bands to increase detection reliability. Its primary detector is mounted on top of the Rafale's tail. The LWS was developed by Thales and is called the Détection et Alerte Laser (DAL). The whole Spectra suite is integrated with three dedicated computers, developed by Thales and MBDA and called the Gestion de l'Interface et Compatibilité (GIC).



Rafale-M Glass Cockpit

The Rafale received a glass cockpit from the very beginning. Four color monitors were mounted in the cockpit, one head-level 254x254-mm (10x10-in.) display, one weapon- and system-status monitor below it, and two smaller 127x127-mm (5x5-in.) displays on each side of the main tactical display. All displays were developed by Sextant Avionique (presently Thales) with the use of active-matrix and liquid-crystal display (LCD) technologies. The two small displays are controlled by touch. Thales also delivered the CTH3022 wide-angle (32x20º) holographic head-up display (HUD).

Rafales are powered by two Snecma M88-2 engines with 72.9 kN of thrust each. Rafales are able to fly in "supercruise" mode – supersonic flight without the use of afterburners. Supercruise enables the aircraft to execute a part of the ingress and/or egress route at supersonic speed without serious penalty to its tactical radius.

All of the Rafale's avionics and electronics were integrated through four Mil Std 1553B data buses and two Mil Std 1760 data buses. The latter operate in the ADA language and enable use of most modern types of weapons. Integration was achieved through two Dassault Electronique (presently Thales) mission computers, replaced by a single, more capable computer on the F2 standard and above. The heart of the navigation system is formed by two Sagem (Paris, France) Sigma 95N (RL90) laser-gyroinertial-navigation systems (INSs) with embedded GPS receivers from Thales. Thales also delivered the NC 12E TACAN, the TLS-2020 multi-mode receiver (MMR), and the AHV-17 radar altimeter, the latter of which was later replaced by the AHV2930. The TLS2020 MMR performs various functions: instrumental-landing-system (ILS) and microwave-landing-system (MLS) functions for approach and landing operations and VHF-omnidirectional-range (VOR) functions for en-route navigation. The AHV2930 digital radio-altimeter has an extended range of 0 to 10,500 feet in altitude with optimized performance for very low-level flight, as well as a low probability of detection.

The Rafale's communications suite provides secure and interoperable voice and tactical datalink communications using NATO standards: SATURN (Second-generation Anti-jamming Tactical UHF for NATO) and MIDS. The Rafale is equipped with two Thales radio sets: the TRA2020 for basic V/UHF voice communications and the TRA6031 V/UHF radio set, which provides fast-frequency-hopping SATURN capabilities while being compatible with radios presently in use.

The identification-friend-or-foe (IFF) function is performed by the SB25A Combined Interrogator-Transponder, also developed by Thales. This new IFF MKXII equipment is the first of its kind using electronic-scanning technology. It includes Mode S capability is prepared to accept the future Mode 5 IFF waveform

Four Production Standards

The F1 was an interim standard, actually optimized for air-combat missions, since developing the air-to-air fire-control system was a much easier task than the air-to-ground system. Only 13 production aircraft were built to the F1 standard. The service interested in the F1 was the French Navy, since it urgently needed a replacement for its aging Vought F-8E(FN) Crusader fighters. Ten of the F1s built were Rafale M naval single-seat fighters, eight of which equip the 12F Squadron. The three remaining were two Rafale B two-seat fighters and a single seat Rafale C for the French Air Force. First flight of the Rafale B took place on Nov. 24, 1998. The Rafale M was flown for the first time on July 7, 1999, and the Rafale C first flew on April 16, 2003 (and was the last Batch 1 aircraft to leave the factory).

While the F2 standard is not yet the ultimate version of Rafale, it can be treated as fully combat capable. The F2 is actually the first version that will enter regular service in both the French Air Force and French Navy. The whole order for the F2 standard, placed in 1999, covers 48 fighters: seven Rafale Cs and 25 Rafale Bs for the Air Force, and 16 single-seat Rafale Ms for the Navy. Currently, three production F2s have been built, all two-seat Rafale Bs for the Air Force. The latest of these was handed over to CEAM (the French Air Force Test Center) in Mont-de-Marsan in April 2005.

The aircraft's avionics system received a new-generation mission computer, more capable than the previous two combined. It is the Thales Modular Data Processing Unit (MDPU). The core software system of the MDPU includes mission, displays, cartographic, network, flight-management, and other critical flight software. The MDPU is connected to 1553 and 3910 data buses. All major systems onboard the Rafale are connected to the MDPU via interface units. These data buses are completed by point-to-point video networking, linking aircraft systems with the displays and recording systems.

Developments in the RBE2 radar enabled a ground -mapping mode and Doppler beam-sharpening mode, boosting the aircraft's ground-attack capabilities, since F2 the system can perform terrain-following and ground-proximity-warning modes. The new radar capabilities also enabled the integration of more types of air-to-ground weapons on the aircraft.

Rafales of the F2 standard can carry up to two MBDA Apache stand-off missiles (140-km range) or two MBDA SCALP mini-cruise missiles. The SCALP [Systéme de Crosiére conventional Autonome à Longue Porté] weighs 1,500 kg and has a range of 400+ km. Laser-guided weapons are also new with the F2. Up to five GBU-12 or three GBU-10 Paveway IIs can be carried, as well as the French BGL1000. In the future, Paveway III bombs will also be carried. In the anti-ship role, the Rafale F2 is to carry two AM39 Exocet Block 2 missiles, although full anti-ship capabilities will await the F3 standard. The conventional-weapon load includes up to 22 bombs weighing 250 kg (French) or 500 lb. (NATO), up to 10 bombs of 400 kg (French) or 1,000 lb. (NATO), or up to three of 1,000 kg (French) or 2,000 lb. (NATO). Among the new air-to-air load are the MICA IR infrared-guided medium-range missiles.

In further development, the Rafale F2 is to be able carry some more air-to-ground guided weapons. The most interesting of them is the Sagem AASMINS/GPS-guided bomb, something of a "European JDAM" (see below). Other unspecified weapons are likely to be integrated in the future, possibly including the Alenia/MBDA PGM-500 and PGM-2000 HAKIM family of laser-guided bombs and the Elbit (Haifa, Israel) Whizzard guided-bomb family, consisting of Lizard laser-guided and OPHER imaging-infrared-guided bombs.

Under the F2 standard, the Rafale's avionics were integrated with the MIDS tactical information-distribution system, working in the Link 16 format. Aircraft are fitted with the MIDS Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT), developed by the EuroMIDS consortium, which consists of Thales (Colombes, France), Marconi Selenia Communications (Rome, Italy), Indra Sistemas (Madrid, Spain), and EADS Deutschland GmbH Defense and Security Systems Division (Unterschleissheim, Germany). The MIDS-LVT provides Link 16 for real-time tri-service tactical information exchanges with command centers, airborne early-warning aircraft, warships, and other fighters. The MIDS-LVT also provides two additional secure voice channels. The system enables the creation of a common recognized tactical picture. Now the picture obtained from Air Force E-3F AWACS and Navy E-2C Hawkeye aircraft can be distributed in real time among the Rafale fleet. Also, the aircraft can exchange pictures seen by onboard radars, as well as imagery from the Damocles pod (see below). One of the most interesting features of the MIDS is the ability to share data from the Spectra electronic-warfare (EW) system in real time, fusing it into a common recognized EW-situation picture.

And finally, the ultimate F2 aircraft will receive the Optronique Secteur Frontal (OSF) system (see below), developed by Thales Optronique in cooperation with Sagem.

After the 1999 order, development of the Rafale was slowed down by French authorities. This was largely due to the developing concepts of network-centric warfare (NCW), under which information technologies produced many changes in the fields of tactics and weapons. It was decided that prolonging the Rafale's development would result in an aircraft that better fit new and future requirements. Discussion of the requirements for the F3 standard were finalized in late 2003, and Dassault received a contract for its development in February 2004. In December of that year, an order was placed for delivery of 59 F3-standard Rafales, bringing the total number of aircraft to 120 (13 F1s and 48 F2s, plus 59 F3s). This was a major reduction from the previously planned procurement of 234 fighters for the Air Force alone. According to previous plans, many more F1- and F2-standard aircraft were to have been produced before switching to the F3. Now the numbers of the earlier versions have been reduced, and production is to be shifted to later-standard aircraft (F3 and F4). Total requirements of the French Navy call for 60 aircraft (all single-seat Rafale Ms), and the French Air Force ultimately is to procure 95 Rafale C single-seat and 140 Rafale B two-seat fighters.

The F3 standard aircraft is to receive a modernized radar, but still with the passively scanned antenna. It will include a range of new modes, such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR), enhancing ground attack capabilities. Again according to unofficial information, the improved radar can perform various modes simultaneously, for example air-to-ground and air-search modes at the same time.

The F3-standard aircraft will have full anti-ship capabilities. This means that the RBE2 radar and OSF will have naval-target-detection and -tracking capabilities. The aircraft will also carry MBDA Exocet Block 3 missiles and possibly newly developed anti-ship missiles in the future.

As of the F3 standard, the Rafale will gain a reconnaissance capability, allowing the Mirage F1CRs to be phased out. The Rafale F3 is to carry the newly developed Recce NG pod from Thales Land and Joint Systems (see below).

F3-standard aircraft will also be equipped with a helmet-mounted cueing system. For a long time, the Thales Topisght-E system was mentioned in the context of the Rafale, but recently Sagem Gerfaut is listed as the future provider of Rafale's helmet-mounted cuing system, according to Dassault information. Both systems are very light and have some helmet-mounted display capability. For the F4 standard, development will probably aim for a full helmet-mounted display and elimination of the HUD.

Changes in French Air Force doctrine have caused the service to emphasize its procurement of two-seat Rafale B aircraft at the expense of single-seat Rafale C aircraft (shown here). French Air Force representatives maintain that the experience from recent conflicts has shown that, in dense air-defense environments, the workload is too great for a single pilot – a conclusion that has been reached by many air forces. Intriguingly, the French Navy abandoned its plans to procure a two-seat version of the Rafale.

The F4 standard has not yet been defined. It is expected that the version will be equipped with new Snecma M88-3 engines, with 15-20% more thrust to cope with the greater weight of new avionics and weapons. As for new armaments, Meteor and IRIS-T air-to-air missiles are mentioned, although a decision regarding their integration on the Rafale has not yet been made. The F4 standard will also probably include an AESA-type radar. The F4 version is to be operational after 2010, and most decisions have been deliberately prolonged to enable better adaptation of requirements to future threats.

As has been suggested above, the development of the aircraft platform is not the only way the French are planning to expand and improve the mission capabilities of the "Rafale package." A host of sensor and weapon systems and mission-specific applications will be added to the aircraft over time. Some of the more important of these parallel development efforts are outlined below.

Damocles Targeting Pod

The Damocles navigation and targeting pod was developed by Thomson-CSF Optronique (now Thales). The company's experience in this area goes back to the 1970s with the development of the first-generation ATLIS TV/laser-targeting pod, followed by the second-generation CLDP 8-12µ system in the early 1990s. Development of the Damocles pod started in the mid 1990s and was partially financed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had ordered the system for its Mirage 2000-9s. The Damocles pod has been introduced into French Navy service and is operational on carrier-based Super Etendard aircraft.

The Damocles pod, in its baseline configuration, has a third-generation thermal-imagery camera, working in the waveband of 3-5 µm, and a navigational forward-looking IR (FLIR) sensor mounted in the pylon. The navigational FLIR sensor has a 24x18-degrees field of view. The main sensor is used for targeting purposes, with selectable fields of view: wide (4x3º), intermediate, and narrow (1x0.75º). It is fully stabilized, enabling an observation range of up to 40-50 km. Along with the camera, the Damocles pod is also equipped with two laser sets working in the 1.5- and 1.06-µm wavebands, used for range finding, target designation, and laser spot tracking. The lasers' ranges enables them to be used from outside the firing envelope of many air-defense systems. The Damocles camera and lasers can be cued to the target by other aircraft systems, including indirectly by the RBE2 radar. The pod has also an automatic track mode. The laser-designation system of the Damocles pod is compatible with Paveway II and III, Alenia/MBDA PGM-500 and PGM-2000 HAKIM, and Elbit Lizard guided bombs.

Optronique Secteur Frontal (OSF)

Thales also developed a very advanced built-in electro-optical (EO) targeting system for the Rafale, called Optronique Secteur Frontal (OSF; Front Sector Optronic). The system is mounted in front of the cockpit and consists of two optical modules. The right-side module has a long-wave (8-12 µm) infrared camera used for target search and track. The range of the camera is believed to be up to 90 km in ideal conditions. The left-side module carries a CCD TV camera for daytime target identification. The system also includes a laser rangefinder for use against air targets.

The OSF system does not replace the Damocles pod. Indeed, the OSF system is primarily an air-to-air search, track, identification, and localization sensor, with a limited air-to-ground localization and identification function. The OSF system is to be introduced from the F2 standard onward. In F2.1, it will be air-to-air capable, and in F2.2 it will also gain an air-to-ground capability. From the F3 standard, the OSF system is also to be also adapted for anti-ship missions. A future enhancement has been proposed to the French Air Force and French Navy with a night target-identification function based on a mid-wave IR sensor that would replace the CCD TV camera.

Recce NG

The Thales Recce NG is intended to be not just a reconnaissance pod. It will be a complete reconnaissance system. The pod is the airborne element of the system. The ground elements consist of a mission-planning system and a station for receiving, processing, and disseminating intelligence data in real time.

The Recce NG system offers the capability to perform both high- and medium-altitude strategic reconnaissance and low-altitude tactical reconnaissance during the same mission. The system has three digital optronic sensors: two bi-spectral sensors for long-range reconnaissance (IR and visible) and a high-speed tactical IR line scanner for low-altitude reconnaissance. The bi-spectral sensors offer several fields of view – narrow field for medium-range reconnaissance and very narrow field for long-range, stand-off reconnaissance. The optics of the visible and IR cameras are mounted on a flexible bearing, enabling the systems to be directed vertically and at oblique angles in any direction from horizon to horizon, and with significant agility in azimuth.

The French Navy's relative lack of mid-air refuelling assets may partially explain its reluctance to pay a range penalty in order to accommodate a second crew member in its Rafales. Here, a Rafale M gets a drink from a Super Etendard "tanker."

The Recce NG pod also includes a Recce Management System (RMS) that incorporates advanced operational functions for itinerary surveillance (line search), multiple-point image gathering, ad-hoc stereoscopic data acquisition (pinpoint tracking), real-time datalink management, and digital recording. The pod is equipped with two antennas to transmit high-speed image data in the optical range and another antenna for acquiring and tracking the pod from the ground without a pre-defined air meeting point. The ground element is fully mobile and includes a mission-planning system. Imagery acquisition can be pre-planned or reprogrammed in flight. The ground segment includes a transportable ground terminal and antenna linked to the imagery-acquisition system onboard the pod. Prototype Recce NG pods are now flying, and the system is expected to be operational on the Rafale after 2008.

AASM: the European JDAM

Among the new weapons that are to be integrated beginning with the Rafale F2 standard, one of the most interesting is the AASM, developed by Sagem. This is a conversion kit for 500-lb.-class bombs, such as the Mk82 general-purpose, BLU-111 cluster, and CBEMS/Bang penetration bombs. The guidance section includes an INS and GPS receiver enabling 10-meter accuracy in any weather. The whole modernization kit is extremely cheap , which enables air forces to use this type of weapon en mass to achieve high-destructive effects in a very short time. The bombs are also equipped with folded wings, which enable a glide range of 15 km when dropped from low altitude or 50 km when dropped from medium to high altitudes. Another interesting feature is that the guidance processor enables the pilot or weapons officer to select the angle at which the bomb impacts the target.

Additionally, for contingency-type operations, the guidance section can include not only the INS/GPS for aiming at a pre-selected point, but also an imaging-IR (IIR) seeker. Use of the IIR seeker restricts attacks to a single target per "drop," while INS/GPS mode only enables every bomb to be aimed at a different target and dropped simultaneously. The Rafale can carry up to six AASM bombs on two triple racks under the wings.

ASMP-A Missiles: Nukes for the Rafale

The F3 standard will be nuclear capable, and Rafale aircraft in the both Navy and Air Force services will be armed with new ASMP-A missiles. The ASMP-A [Air-Sol Moyenne Portee Ameliore; air-to-ground, medium range, improved] missile is to replace the existing ASMP missiles that have been used since 1988 on the French Air Force's Mirage 2000N and the French Navy's Super Etendard strike aircraft . The ASMP missile and the French concept of "less-than-strategic" nuclear strikes were developed during the Cold War with a major European war in mind. Defense requirements and policy have changed dramatically since then, however. One of the most serious threats to any Western country's national security is proliferation of weapons and ballistic-missile technologies that would enable "rogue" states to launch a nuclear attack or threaten to do so. To deal with such situations, as well as other contingencies involving conflict with established powers, the French MoD decided to increase its nuclear deterrence capabilities. Now Mirage 2000N K3 or Rafale aircraft, with the assistance of aerial refueling and/or forward airbases, would be able to attack almost any location in the world. With the missile's range of over 500 km, in many cases, the attacking aircraft would be able to launch a strike without penetrating the enemy's territory.

A host of sensor and weapon systems and mission-specific applications will be added to the Rafale over time. This Rafale B carries the Damocles navigation and targeting pod. The Damocles pod, in its baseline configuration, has a third-generation thermal-imagery camera, a navigational forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor mounted in the pylon, and a pair of lasers for range finding, target designation, and laser spot tracking.

The range increase to about 500-600 km is not the only improvement in the new missile. The additional range is to be achieved without substantially increasing the missile's dimensions and weight. Ultimately, after the future withdrawal of the Mirage 2000N, the ASMP-A missile would be carried by the Rafale, from the both land bases and the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, so missile is to fit the Rafale's existing under-fuselage weapon station. To achieve this task, MBDA used a very modern liquid-fuel ramjet engine called the Vesta [Vecteur a Stratoreacteur], developed by Aerospatiale Missiles and Celerg. It was originally designed for the ANF anti-ship missile, development of which has been cancelled. In addition to its fuel efficiency and high thrust-to-weight ratio, the engine is also equipped with a thrust-vectoring system, enabling the missile to perform sharp maneuvers. The ASMP-A is to be also fitted with lightweight nuclear warhead called the TNA [Tete Nucleaire Aero-Portee].

Missile guidance is to be developed by Thales Avionics (Paris, France) and will be of an INS/GPS type. The inertial system will be based on precise laser ring gyros, and the GPS-guidance system will be provided with anti-jamming devices. The guidance computer will enable the missile to use various routes and flight profiles to optimize air-defense-penetration capabilities. The missile will be able to operate over a very broad flight envelope at high-supersonic speed. Also to increase air-defense-penetration capabilities, the missile is to be built using stealth principles.

Reportedly, 47 nuclear-tripped ASMP-A missiles are to be produced and introduced to service on Mirage 2000Ns in 2007 and on Rafales a year later. Presently, three Mirage 2000N K2 squadrons can carry ASMP missiles. Two of these (EC 01.004 Dauphine and EC 02.004 La Fayette) are based at Luxeuil, with the third (EC 03.004 Limousin) at Istres. The French Navy's 12F Squadron of Rafale Ms will probably receive the ASMP-A missile as well.

Rafale in Service

In December 2001, the first Rafale Ms were delivered to Navy Squadron 12F at Landivisiau, which had turned in its F-8E(FN) Crusaders in late 1999. In the spring of 2002, 12F Squadron became operational, and with seven Rafales, it deployed aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which went to the Indian Ocean in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In June 2002, mock fights were conducted between Rafales and US Navy F-14s and F/A-18s, with results that reportedly were quite surprising to the US Navy aviators. According to a French source, the Rafale was hardly detectable by radars on both types of US aircraft and was always able to conduct the first attack with the use of medium-range missiles. The Rafale was also very agile and maneuverable in a dog-fight engagements. Also during the operation, Rafales executed touch-and-go landings of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in a demonstration of NATO interoperability.

In March 2004, Charles de Gaulle again set off to the Indian Ocean, where her embarked Rafale squadron took part in the Northwind 2004 joint exercises with French Mirage 2000s based at Djibouti and with Mirage 2000-9s of the UAE. Later, the aircraft took part in the Varuna exercise conducted with the Indian Navy, and Rafales were matched against Indian Sea Harrier FRS.51s. Another exercise, Red Shark, conducted with Saudi Arabia, enabled Rafales to conduct practice engagements against Saudi Tornado F3 aircraft. By the summer of 2004, Rafale Ms had accumulated 4,400 flying hours over approximately 2,000 sorties and had live-fired 20 Magic-2 and 10 MICA missiles.

The next French Navy squadron to receive Rafales is to be 11F in 2006 and 17F in 2007-2008. The squadrons will receive F2- and F3-standard aircraft, respectively. It is planned, however, that all Navy squadrons will be gradually be brought up to the F3 standard. The 11F and 17F Squadrons both presently fly Super Etendard aircraft, with air-to-surface as their primary mission. Interestingly, in 2004 it was decided not to proceed with the two-seat Rafale N for the Navy, and the first flight of the model, planned for 2005, has been cancelled. All French Navy aircraft will now be delivered as single-seat Rafale Ms.

One can speculate as to why the French Navy eliminated the two-seat Rafale N, particularly since the French Air Force has increased the proportion of two-seat models it plans to order, with (ultimately) 140 two-seat and 95 single-seat aircraft. The official statements of both services are different. Air Force representatives maintain that the experience from recent conflicts has shown that, in dense air-defense environments, the workload is too great for a single pilot. That conclusion has been reached by many air forces. Meanwhile, the French Navy officially announced that development of the two-seat Rafale N was cancelled as unnecessary, primarily due to high costs.

However, behind these official and somewhat contradictory statements are some other factors. One of them is that Rafale N was to be heavier by about 1,000 kg than the land-based single-seater, thus reducing range and combat radius. Moreover, the two-seaters have slightly less internal fuel capacity. Operating from land bases, the French Air Force is usually able to bring tankers to the mission area for in-flight refueling, so the two-seater's decrreased range and combat radius penalty are not as important as for the Navy. Another issue is that after 2015, considerably more of the tasks assigned to manned tactical aircraft will be undertaken by unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVS), such as the Neuron being developed by Dassault.

According to the current French assessment, UCAVs will not replace manned aircraft in total but will operate with them in mixed formations (see "The Robot's Got Your Back"). The man-in-the-loop factor is very important in dynamically changing tactical situations, in which unexpected circumstances emerge. Greater integration on UCAVs into the overall framework of modern combat aviation is being enabled by the network-centric warfare concept. In the future, Rafales equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and data-exchange capabilities will form the core of sensor-to-shooter networks over enemy territory, supported by more dedicated sensors (AWACs, Airborne Ground Sensors, and signals-intelligence platforms) operating over friendly territory. So France's Rafales will also perform a leading role for the UCAVs in integrated strike packages, essentially serving as "UCAV leaders." In such a case, the two-seat version is essential for the role. From the Navy perspective, carrier strike groups do not have the capacity to support large numbers of UCAVs. Moreover, it must be assumed that losses among UCAVs will be considerably higher than among manned aircraft, and replenishing the battlegroup's stock of such systems would be difficult. Therefore, French naval aviation will continue to rely on manned platforms to execute its tactical and strategic missions, so the Navy's requirement for two-seat Rafales is not as pronounced as in the Air Force.

One could ask why such a capable and technically successful aircraft as the Rafale has had such a difficult time finding export orders. Is the Rafale what the Russians call a "golden fish," an expensive but useless piece of military equipment? The Rafale certainly is not cheap. But it is the most impressive aircraft to come out of Europe in two decades. Time will tell whether the Rafale will find a home among the great combat aircraft of the world.

The first operational French Air Force unit will be the 1/7 Provence at Saint-Dizier (Base Aérienne 113) beginning in 2006, replacing the Jaguar ground-attack aircraft the squadron currently operates. Another Jaguar squadron at the base will be the next to convert. All Jaguars will eventually be retired from the French Air Force and replaced by Rafales. The next aircraft to be replaced by Rafales are Mirage F1CT fighter-bombers and Mirage F1CR reconnaissance aircraft, between 2008 and 2015. The Mirage 2000 will remain in service alongside Rafales, at least until 2015. It is planned that, in 2008, the French Air Force will have 40 Rafales, 30 Mirage 2000-5, 60 Mirage 2000C/D (reduced from 80 in 2005), 60 Mirage 2000D, 40 Mirage 2000N (reduced from 60 in 2005), 40 Mirage F1CR, and 40 Mirage F1CT (reduced from 60 in 2005) aircraft. These are currently authorized strengths, and there is likely to be some slight variance when the time comes. In 2015, the number of Rafales deployed by the French Air Force is scheduled to reach 140.

Rafale: Right Now?

The Rafale is a very capable aircraft. It can deliver of up to three to four tons of ordnance within a tactical radius of 1,050-1,500 km. With a full internal and external fuel load, it can conduct over three-and-a-half hours of combat air patrol 800 km away from its base, armed with eight air-to-air missiles. The range on internal fuel is 2,100 km, but with three large drop tanks, it climbs 5,500 km (according to unofficial figures). Range can be further enhanced by the use of conformal tanks on the upper part of the connection between the fuselage and wings. The air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons set is very impressive, enabling all-weather, day and night attack capabilities, including stand-off attacks with conventional and nuclear payloads. When we add some stealth capabilities – less than F/A-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, but close – then anyone must agree that the Rafale is a great technical success.

So why has no export customer been found? The answer is complex. First, one has to consider that the Rafale is an aircraft in a class between the F-16 and F-15 – or maybe more appropriately – in a class between the F-35 and F/A-22. Regardless, it is not a cheap plane. It is simply not an option for poorer countries. At the same time, Dassault is offering its successful Mirage 2000 fighter, which benefited from the down-transfer of some technology from the Rafale. It seems that Dassault does not want the Rafale to spoil Mirage 2000 sales, and it also does not really want to sell the system before it is fully mature. From a marketing standpoint, it is possible that some customers might buy the Rafale in the future to replace Mirage 2000s purchased today, so why skip ahead? Moreover, not all countries may be offered Rafale, since the aircraft incorporates many critical technologies that are important for France's security. (The reader might have noticed these security concerns in the amount of "not officially confirmed" data throughout this article.)

Among the current potential foreign customers of the Rafale are Thailand and Singapore, especially the latter. The Rafale was not selected in the tender for the Republic of (South) Korea Air Force, losing to the Boeing (St. Louis, MO) F-15K, a version of the F-15E (see "EW Suite Flies on New Korean F-15K"). According to Dassault (and most likely it is true), the Rafale was the clear performance winner in Korea, but political pressure from US sources influenced Korea's choice.

The delay in procurement of the aircraft by France is caused primarily by the rapid development of the concept of network-centric warfare and its implementation across the armed services. As network-centric forces materialize, the allocation of missions and roles between manned and unmanned aircraft will change considerably, so manned aircraft systems will have to be reconfigured accordingly. Thus, it is better to wait and adjust aircraft development to emerging requirements than to take the wrong way prematurely.

Rafale Order Status

Rafale M Rafale C Rafale B

Placed Orders: (1 seat) (1 seat) (2 seat)
Standard
10 1 2
F1 (1994)
F2 (1999) 16 7 25
F3 (2004) 12 36 11

Total Orders 38 44 38
Expected Orders: 22 51 102
Total Aircraft Planned: 60 95 140

Basic Technical Data
Wingspan: 10.8 m
Wing Area: 45.7 sq. m
Length: 10.3 m
Height: 5.3 m
Empty Weight: 9,040 kg (Rafale C)/9,600 kg (Rafale B)/9,900 kg (Rafale M)
Maximum Weight: 24,500 kg
Internal Fuel: 4,500 kg
External Fuel: 7,500 kg
Maximum External Load: 9,500 kg
External Stores Stations: 14 (Air Force)/ 13 (Navy)
Heavy Charges & Fuel ("wet")
Stations: 5
G Limits: +9 G/-3.2 G
Maximum Speed: Mach 2*
Maximum Speed at Sea Level: Mach 1.14*
Supercruise: Mach 1.2*
Approach Speed: 120 knots
Take-Off Distance: 400 m
Landing Distance: 450 m
Roll Rate: 270º/sec.*
Max Instant Turn Rate: 32º/sec.*
Max Climb Rate: 305 m/sec.*
Combat Radius: 1,100-1,500 km with full load; 1,850 km with conformal tanks

*Figures from unofficial sources, not confirmed by Dassault.

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p2prada

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A Flight International article explaining an exercise.

VI/ Rapports de pilotes
1999 - Chris Yeo former BAe AirOps director

In the Falcon bringing me to Istres in order to fly the last born of Dassault fighters, I think it is an honour and an happiness to take part to a mission in such a modern and efficient fighter : the Rafale.

Lets it be clear : it is neither a trial nor an evaluation, but a demonstration of the weapon system capabilities in the guise of an attack mission a Rafale F2 pilot could execute.

My pilot will be Philippe Rebourg, assistant chief test pilot in charge of the Dassault Aviation military aircrafts department. Philippe Rebourg has accumulated more than 5000 flight hours, graduated in the Ecole de l'air and flew on Mirage IIIE, attended the USAF Test Pilot School course (1990A promotion) at Edwards. He flew 400h on the Rafale (and additionally 700 on gliders).

Our aircraft, B302, is the third of the production aircrafts and the second production two-seater. She made her first flight on December 1999 and is used for F2 standard development. She is equipped with a RBE2 electronically scanned radar from Thales with air to air and air to ground modes and, depending on the needs, SPECTRA electronic warfare system, front sector optronic (OSF) or direct voice input (DVI).

For this particular flight we have a development OSF with the TV sensor only. Neither the SPECTRA nor the DVI will be available on this flight.

With 2 Magic II acquisition rounds, 2 MICA EM fakes and one 1250L supersonic tank under the fuselage, our weight is 16400 kg. The external tank bringing the kerosene capacity at 6550L is limited at mach 1.6.
B302 is motorised by 2 SNECMA M88-2 Etape 1 engines of 7500 kgp thrust each.

Every flight on a fighter begins by a passage to the equipment service for the necessary ejection seat briefing, reception of the flight suit, fire resistant underwear, G suit, special gloves, helmet '

This mission being considered as an experimental flight, 2 test engineers will monitor our evolutions from the test room. Thanks to the data link they will constantly listen radio communication and talks in the cockpit.

Approaching the Rafale I'm immediately stricken by aircraft dimensions. The time of the small Dassault fighters is well finished. Here is another world : even the air version landing gear is massive, cockpit is very high and the fin culminates at 5.34 m.

We are welcomed by Jacques Izquierdo, chief technician in charge of the B302. At Dassault, test pilots are totally confident in the technicians and the pre flight check has no raison d'être.

With a bit of an excitation I climb into the rear cockpit, taking care not to walk on the canard foreplane.

With the help of Klaüs Brückner, the technician, I trap onto the Martin-Baker Mk16F zero-zero ejection seat equipped with a very simple harness, an advantage over the Jaguar MK4 or the MK10 of the Mirage F1 and 2000. The Rafale is equipped with an integrated legs and arms safety system minimising wounds in case of an high speed ejection.

Rafale has an OBOGS system eliminating the need for dangerous air supplying and an integrated cryogenic generation system avoids liquid nitrogen stock and manipulation.

Another new item, the centralised safety system allows the pilot to put automatically every jettisonable load (weapons, tanks, flares, chaff ') on 'safe ' from the cockpit. An artificer is no more needed at the departure or the return of an armed aircraft to safeguard every load with a pin.

Although the fighter is equipped with an inboard APU the start is effected with a GPU at Dassault flight test center. The procedure is very simple : you only push 2 switches from 'stop' to 'idle' and turn a 'rotacteur' to the right then to the left (inversely to start the left engine before the right one, there is no preferential order). Then, everything is entirely automatic and M88 are ready in less than 2 minutes.

Philippe Rebourg selections the INU mode (inertial navigation unit) on the left screen and ask me to launch the gyro alignment sequence using the touch sensitive screen. After exactly 4 minutes the 2 SAGEM INU
are aligned. For an emergency take-off a quick alignment is achieved in 1.30 min, precision is less but can be considerably enhanced by GPS hybridisation. The Rafale integrates a comprehensive navigation system with
mission computer + trajectory elaboration computer + INU. Not less but 600 nav points can be programmed and the system computes automatically the trajectory, flight times, fuel availability according to the consumption.

While Philippe Rebourg achieves pre flight checklist and test-instrumentation checks I examine the cockpit. The ergonomy has been particularly worked out by engineers and the pilot has a very carefully
designed interface. The instrument panel is dominated by the wide angle (20° x 20°) high resolution (1000 x 1000) display, collimated to the infinite. The 2 touch sensitive LCD on either side of the central display
have a 500 x 500 resolution. On the left console a small touch sensitive display is used for selection of air to air or air to ground modes while an auxiliary display is used to verify automatic pilot modes. Every
visualization is NVG compatible and the forward scene is recorded by a camera placed under the wide angle holographic HUD (22° X 30°) and visualized by the back-seater on a video screen with the associated
symbology and crosshairs. The pilot can dialogue with the plane manipulating HOTAS, touch sensitive screens, a touch-pad, DVI (inactive today), and the 2 'allumettes' (matches). These are two commands
protruding from the instrument panel and being manipulated without releasing the throttle and stick.

Impulses toward the left, right, up or down call primary menus on the lateral screens.

The plane is equipped with an auto diagnostic system, warning the pilot every time an anomaly being able to affect the mission happens (level 2 breakdown ').

After having tested the FBW system we are ready to taxi.

Approaching the runway, Philippe Rebourg signal to arm the ejection seat with the lateral security switch.

While I lower the 2 visors of my helmet Philippe Rebourg aligns the airplane on the runway 33. The Rafale is so powerful that it is not possible to use the maximum dry thrust while braking : the friction coefficient is not enough to stop the plane and tires would be damaged.

The best technique is to go from idle to full afterburner while releasing braking. The FADEC manages every engines parameters without any human intervention. As on the Mirage 2000, the Jx, the longitudinal acceleration value at take off, appears on the HUD and shows that the engines give their optimal thrust.

At 130 knots Philippe Rebourg pull the trigger up and we do a cool take off after 700 m.

After a few seconds we reach our transit height at low altitude.

First impressions : the cockpit is very spacious and the ejection seat very comfortable. Even if the 2 canard foreplanes hide the ground from the rear seat, visibility is excellent and I can easily see at six o'clock.

With the Alpilles ahead of our plane and the mount Ventoux starboard, we turn at 400 kts and 1000 feet toward Arles and our first nav point, before heading north. During transit, Philippe Rebourg shows me how flexible the navigation system is. 'At every moment, if the orders were modified or the tactical situation changed, the pilot can quickly elaborate a new flight plan'
For the needs of the stand-off attack demonstration, a virtual configuration comprising two SCALP under the wings is created. During the preparation of the mission, a special software has determined the geographical shooting domain in order for the missiles to overfly their first nav points. Approaching the fire zone, Philippe Rebourg selections the attack mode and the air to ground page is displayed on the left screen. The symbol ALN appears on the HUD, meaning we have to initiate the alignment of the SCALP INS.

As I have learned in the simulator, I launch the procedure by a pressure on the touch sensitive screen. A new order appears on the HUD, remembering the pilot to jink in order to align the missiles gyro ; Philippe Rebourg banks the plane and pull the trigger : we go in a turn to the right then to the left to come back on our track. Before firing, I have to launch the SCALP engines, not too soon to spare some fuel. On the central display the huge domain, crescent shaped, is displayed and as soon as we enter the pilot pull on the stick to begin a steep climb maintaining the speed vector of the HUD between the 2 vertical tendency bars. This climb is essential as the pylones are designed to jettison SCALP under positive loading factor.

Philippe Rebourg push the release button simulating the shooting of the 2 missiles and egress immediately to the left as, during a real attack, collision with the SCALP flying at the same speed than the aircraft can
happens. As soon as the missiles are released, their wings deploy and they begin their travel to the target.

'The air to air and air to ground functions can be activated simultaneously, says Philippe Rebourg. It's the real innovation giving the Rafale her superiority on her concurrents. During the SCALP attack, the air to
air mode was active with radar and OSF dedicated to this function. Naturally the radar tracked some targets and the OSF has locked the target classified as the most dangerous by the system.

Only one push would have been sufficient to engage this target. The complete firing sequence can be realised through the auto pilot by simple imputs given with the coolie hat of the stick. On the Rafale, the auto pilot is completely integrated to the flight control system : it is part of the command chain like the airbrake function for example.'

After the simulated firing we egress at very low altitude and Philippe Rebourg engages the automatic terrain following system. The hills of the Vivarais mountain are an ideal environment to demonstrate this capacity. The 2 secure maps of the multi corridor navigation system elaborate continuously 2 trajectories, either with the data of a 300,000 km² digital file over the ground or with the information of a radiosonde for sea travel. A ground profile is calculated over the further 10 km, allowing the plane to sneak under the radar cover, automatically, day or night by all weather. This totally passive system allows flight at 300 feet, this altitude being only temporary, final objective is 100 feet. The RBE2 has a 3D mapping mode permitting flight at very low altitude over a terrain not recorded on file.

Before flight, Philippe Rebourg has selected the desired flight altitude, 500 feet in this sector, and has added 100 feet, the height of the higher artificial structures in this zone. According to the discretion needed the pilot can choose between 3 flight options : soft, medium and hard. In the hard mode, the loading factors are almost doubled in comparison with the Mirage 20000D and N and the speed domain is considerably larger. For this flight the soft option was used to take care of myself. At 450 knots the plane is remarkably stable. 'The anti turbulence mode, once envisaged, has finally not been installed as the FCS has proved to be perfectly able to manage wind gusts when jumping crests.'

A revolutionary anti ground collision system is being developed for the F2 standard. Thanks to the digital file, the onboard computer knows the exact altitude of the plane to the ground. In case a dangerous situation arises, for example if the pilot becomes disoriented in dogfight, in the clouds and dive to the ground, the system will warn him and he can pass in the terrain following mode. In the F3 standard the computer will be able to automatically switch to the terrain following mode to prevent crash.

Interception As a swing role aircraft the Rafale has been designed to excel in both the air to ground and air to air arena. For air combat or interception the pilot has 3 sensors ' radar, OSF, SPECTRA- the data fusion system taking into account the more precise system for a given criterion when identifying or locating a target. The OSF will be the preferred system for angular resolution, radar for ranging at long distances (OSF laser range finder at shorter distances) and SPECTRA for passive identification of threats (by comparison with a database). 'This data fusion capacity between the different sensors is certainly the most significative point of the Rafale weapon system, explains Philippe Rebourg, it is a revolution by comparison with planes the generation of M2000 or F16 whose pilots have to build an image of the tactical situation by analysing information provided by radar or threat warning system. With the Rafale the crews can obtain a clear view of the whole air battle with one look and take the advantage.'

Every data recorded by different sensors are fused then presented on central display. The OSF image can be displayed on the same screen or a loupe can be activated to verify that a single plot is not a raid of many aircrafts flying in close formation. While in the RWS (range while scan) mode the RBE2 can track 40 targets of which 8 by a reinforced tracking mode for missile designation. The M88-2 engines can accelerate from idle to maximum reheat thrust in less than 3 seconds permitting Rafale to accelerate quickly. The digital FBW gives a very good agility and the very inclined position of the ejection seat allows pilot to resist higher load factors.
Suddenly, as we exit a turn, the RBE2 acquires a contact at medium altitude, Philippe Rebourg initiate immediately an air intercept, accelerating. The target is automatically followed by the weapon system and the pilots validates the proposed option by pressing a button on the throttle. For evident reasons no radar or OSF performance will be disclosed here. We are outside MICA range and we must still close in but the OSF having locked the target at the beginning of the interception shows an image of a Transall despite a fine layer of clouds separating us from the target. The OSF TV way works in fact in the near visible infrared and her large field of view allows tracking of high boresight objectives. The pilot can choose between two firing domains : maximum range or no escape zone. Max range is materialized by a doted line and no escape by a steady line surrounding the target. In WVR combat a minimum shooting distance is materialized on the tactical display. As soon as we are in range the weapon system signals 'shoot' on the HUD, by cycling between the contacts the pilot can immediately engage the other targets, the second missile is automatically locked on the n+1 target. MICA can be fired every 2 seconds, the one from the airframe points are ejected up to 4G while wings pylons can release MICA up to 9G. The propulsed phase is very short (a few seconds) and the shooting is nearly undetectable, no smoke is produced by the rocket motor. For long range intercept, the missile follows an inertial trajectory toward coordinates continuously refreshed by the datalink then uses the seeker before hitting target. The time of flight of the missile is indicated on the HUD and the datalink duration appears as a decreasing camembert plot.

Precision attack
The simulated LGB attack using GBU-12 against the Faraman beacon at the south end of the Rhône delta will highlight this demonstration. Philippe Rebourg begins by a run at medium height ; first action : he has
to acquire an offset point to update the nav system. The nav system knowing precisely the coordinates, the bearing and distance of the target from this offset point will compute precisely the weapon release point.
At 20,000 ft and 15 NM from Port Saint Louis where a jetty will serve as the offset point, the OSF is locked on and the laser rangefinder is briefly activated and determine the distance. After being positioned the pilot authorizes the attack by pressing a trigger on the sidestick and the computer release 3 of the 4 GBU-12 simulated. 'With the GBU-12, the release domain is small. The pilot has to follow the crosshairs'.

For a second attack, in a toss, we fly 20 NM away before coming back to the beacon. At 18,000 ft Philippe Rebourg roll inverted and dive at 23°. With a command on the throttle, he places the designation diamond on the triangle marking the target position calculated by the system. He uses the zoom function of the OSF to aim more precisely, as soon as the order is given on the HUD he pulls up at 5.5G following the guiding crosshairs, the last GBU-12 is released. The manoeuvre brings us at 10,000 ft out of range of short range missiles and AAA.

Aerobatics
Thanks to her FBW the Rafale is extremely manoeuvrable. Depending on the configuration there are 2 flight domains : air-to-ground with heavy loads (5.5G max and 160°/s roll) or air combat (9G max and 280°/s roll rate) In emergency case the max load factor can reach 11G. During test flights for opening the flight envelope at very low speed the aircraft flew at an incidence of more than 100° and at negative speeds of '40 knots without loss of control. 'We consider that firing after a brutal nose-up like a Cobra are risked during combat because weapon separation problems can arise and pilot can be in a very dangerous situation if he fails to destroy his
opponent(s). We prefer to use a very agile weapon, like the MICA and a helmet mounted sight' says Jean Camus, test pilot and ex-manager of the EPNER 5french test pilot school) and former M2000 test pilot.

Air to ground radar and combat
We take the direction of Istres to acquire a low altitude radar map by using the DBS (Doppler beam sharpening) function of the RBE2. With this function, the pilot can approach an objective at low attitude, pop-up briefly to record the mapping then dive to cover and work on the memorised image.
The DBS will be superseded by a SAR mode giving an even more detailed image. The controller signals a Mirage 2000N being about to cross our flight path from the left. By a single action on a button on the throttle, the pilot activates the combat mode and the 2000N is immediately locked by the RBE2 while working in the ground mapping mode. With the integration of an helmet mounted sighting unit on the F3 standard, this acquisition (although extremely rapid) will be even quicker for objectives situated outside the radar FOV and alleviating the need for agressive manoeuvres. The seeker
of one of the Magics lock the target and Philippe Rebourg turns aggressively in order to fire. A few second later, all is finished and M2000 fate is decided.

The feminine voice of the vocal system signals the Bingo, sadly, it's time to come home. First action : decrease speed. This is done by pulling back the throttle, braking and unlatch the autothrottle : this system adjust the lag of all aerodynamic surfaces and the thrust of the engines to follow a very precise slope.

In the last turn Philippe Rebourg takes control and take carefully contact with the runway. While he maintains a nose-up attitude, he lights the afterburner on and pull firmly on the stick : we go vertical !

Short landing : at 120 knots the aerodynamic braking is not that efficient and Dassault test pilots advice to immediately putt the main gear on the runway in order to brake quickly. The aircraft stops in less than 500m.

Former BAe AirOps director Chris Yeo (Flight International 1999 )
 

Armand2REP

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They do work independently.
They do not.

PESA modules can also steer. You are talking about a slotted planar array like the Zhuk ME. Try to read up on beam steering.
PESA only scan one frequency and function at a time. AESA modules can do several frequencies and functions at once. Try to read up on the difference between AESA and PESA functions.

You are looking at it the wrong way. A passive PAR and an active PAR have a similar structure when it comes to radiating elements. It is just that in an AESA, the modules are active while PESA modules are passive, passive meaning they don't deliver independent power. Pretty much everything is the same when it comes to operation of either radar.
It isn't the same because AESA modules act independently while all the PESA elements have to do the same function as the rest of the array. It is world's apart in complexity.


Why? The RBE-2 was converted from PESA to AESA the same way. Remove passive components, remove the TWT and connections to the components, replace with active components and increase cooling. That's pretty much it. Easier said than done, but that's about it.
That is not it. RBE2 AA was able to be integrated into the F3 radar set because it was designed to accept an AESA array from the beginning. Processing power is ample enough to handle the current PESA and accept the AESA array when it comes out. It requires far more complex software algorithms than the PESA does and anything less than F3 can't take it.

Does not seem like it.
If it wasn't, I am sure they would have brought it to MRCA. Or maybe they just weren't serious about winning? :rolleyes:

You are ahead of Russia in operationalizing the radar, but not very far. The PAKFA is already flying with a prototype of the Irbis AESA. For all we know, the FOC of RBE-2AA and Irbis-AESA will end up being at similar dates.
IOC of RBE2 AA is in a few months, IOC of Irbis AESA is years away, probably six if they can keep things on track.

Nope. We don't turn to Russia simply because they have something. Don't forget the MRCA deal was always meant for the Mirage-2000.
MRCA was meant for whoever offered the best ToT, France had the best tech with the best transfer offer.

Is that why we have a PAKFA program with them?
PAKFA is a development programme so no.

Huh! There are differences when it comes to the development cycle, prototype to production. Russians evolve their designs over many years from prototype to production while US and France develop the first prototype as a close cousin of the final product. UK too.

The Flanker flew a few years before Rafale, but the Flanker started off as an air superiority fighter and then slowly evolved to the MKI over 20 years. You don't see that with Rafale. Rafale started as a multirole aircraft and ended with the same design over the last 20 years. EF-2000 as well. F-15 and F-18 evolved over 30-40 years instead.
Huh! There aren't many differences when they all follow the four basic steps. They all appropriate money for concept, then it hits the design phase, then prototypes and finally acceptance trials. The difference is Russia works off a base Soviet design because the companies are too cash strapped for research funds to move onto the next generation. The R&D budget has been slashed in a time it needs to be quadrupled.

There are a lot of things Russia has developed that France does not yet have an equivalent. Similarly France has similar products.
There is nothing Russia has developed that France hasn't... Soviet accomplishments do not account for Russian Federation failure.

Funding is an issue. You can say they have problems with AESA, but it seems to be turning around. Like I said, if IAF accepts the Bars AESA, then it is bound to be better than what we are getting from the MRCA deal.
If IAF accepts a Bars AESA then we can talk... right now the only one they have accepted is RBE2-AA. MiG-35 and its radar is dead. They notched one failure to move on to the Bars... will it be any better? We shall see...
 

p2prada

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They do not.

PESA only scan one frequency and function at a time. AESA modules can do several frequencies and functions at once. Try to read up on the difference between AESA and PESA functions.

It isn't the same because AESA modules act independently while all the PESA elements have to do the same function as the rest of the array. It is world's apart in complexity.
You are getting confused between what I am saying and what you have in mind. I am not saying the PESA is multifunction, something that you think I am saying. What I am saying is that the PESA emitters are independent, even though they function as a single entity.

That is not it. RBE2 AA was able to be integrated into the F3 radar set because it was designed to accept an AESA array from the beginning. Processing power is ample enough to handle the current PESA and accept the AESA array when it comes out. It requires far more complex software algorithms than the PESA does and anything less than F3 can't take it.
That's purely a software and mission computer difference. It is a 10 minute upgrade patch on any aircraft. MKIs have different processors handling different functions. So, very easy to upgrade. Heck the entire radar processor can be changed in very little time and the entire setup comes with the radar. We can decide what processor we want to use though. We use DARE made RC1 and RC2 which are modular and upgradable. We are yet to experiment with a CIP like Rafale. So, we don't have any major issue there.

If it wasn't, I am sure they would have brought it to MRCA. Or maybe they just weren't serious about winning? :rolleyes:
No. The bids were over. The same thing happened to Boeing and LM. They wanted to bring the RACR and SABR into the picture, but IAF did not allow any new revision to the bid after 2009. Dassault was lucky to get RBE-2AA ready in time for the competition. The Zhuk FGA-35 was a 2010 development, so there was no way they could being it to the table anyway. Maybe they did not expect Russia capable of adding an EW channel to the Bars in the 2008 upgrade.

I have always held the feeling IAF wanted Rafale from the start, right from 2007. Perhaps the reasons given to other competitors were merely excuses. Funny how the IAF said the F-16E had the worst performance of the lot.

IOC of RBE2 AA is in a few months, IOC of Irbis AESA is years away, probably six if they can keep things on track.
RBE-2AA's IOC is 2013 with the arrival of the first 5 Rafales. IOC of Irbis may be a bit longer because of the development cycle of the PAKFA, but you can't discount the IOC of the Bars/Zhuk AESA that will come with the MKI. Anytime after 2012, because the Super MKI is supposedly meant to be in service in 2013-14.

MRCA was meant for whoever offered the best ToT, France had the best tech with the best transfer offer.
I will not dispute it but you are talking about the MRCA in 2007. I am talking about what happened since 1999. IAF always wanted the Mirage-2000 and built up requirements around it. RFIs were sent out in 2004 for a 20ton MTOW aircraft. Due to delays in generating a new RFP Dassault withdrew Mirage-2000. Guess what! Even IAF withdrew the RFI and set up a new RFI without the 20 ton limit. That's how Rafale came to the competition in the first place.

PAKFA is a development programme so no.
That makes no sense at all.

We are looking at France for a 4th gen aircraft while developing a 5th gen aircraft with Russia. It is very simple. We are filling up the low end of our Air force with France while looking at Russia for high end. Don't take it the wrong way, these are simple facts.

Huh! There aren't many differences when they all follow the four basic steps. They all appropriate money for concept, then it hits the design phase, then prototypes and finally acceptance trials. The difference is Russia works off a base Soviet design because the companies are too cash strapped for research funds to move onto the next generation. The R&D budget has been slashed in a time it needs to be quadrupled.
You completely missed out on evolution of said design in various tranches.

There is nothing Russia has developed that France hasn't...
Please show me a single equivalent of the near 4th gen Obj 195. Wait let's not forget a 5th gen fighter prototype. Then again, let's not forget they have an entire GLONASS constellation of satellites that India also has exclusive rights to while the whole of Europe will take a whole decade to have an equivalent. A whole new generation of submarines in the Borei and Borei II. Wait I just covered all 4 dimensions - land, water, air and space. :rolleyes:

Comparatively France has some electronics edge and the Mistral, maybe some radars(but we don't know). Ok. One major platform called Neuron, but it is classified as a TD. That's about it.

You can call me a Russian fanboy. But facts speak for themselves.

Soviet accomplishments do not account for Russian Federation failure.
Right! Soviet accomplishments are not really talked about beyond history buffs. Su-35, MKI, Mig-35, PAKFA, PAKDA, Obj 195, Borei class sub, Bulava missile(with maneuverable war heads) etc are all Russian developments.

If IAF accepts a Bars AESA then we can talk... right now the only one they have accepted is RBE2-AA. MiG-35 and its radar is dead. They notched one failure to move on to the Bars... will it be any better? We shall see...
IAF has already accepted a particular radar, we don't know if it is Bars or Zhuk. Whatever the case, the contract for the upgrade was signed in 2010, before the RBE-2AA was accepted.

Mig-35 may not have any takers, but the radar is far from dead. Speak to any western expert you want and ask him to rate Russian tech against present gen European and American tech(including F-22), heck you will be surprised to know what they think. The Russians are already moving towards 6th gen aero engines while Europe is still a generation behind.

Don't forget that while France and Europe have been progressing while spending their own money, Russia has been leeching money off India and China for pretty much every military project. China has dumped a lot of money into aircraft and ship development while India has spent even more on aircraft, tanks, satellites, missiles, ships and subs(Gorky, Akula II) R&D. So, don't underestimate Russian capability simply because you are assuming their programs were never funded, which is far from the truth.
 
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Armand2REP

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You are getting confused between what I am saying and what you have in mind. I am not saying the PESA is multifunction, something that you think I am saying. What I am saying is that the PESA emitters are independent, even though they function as a single entity.
That makes no sense when PESA elements have to operate on the same frequency. That isn't independently.

That's purely a software and mission computer difference. It is a 10 minute upgrade patch on any aircraft. MKIs have different processors handling different functions. So, very easy to upgrade. Heck the entire radar processor can be changed in very little time and the entire setup comes with the radar. We can decide what processor we want to use though. We use DARE made RC1 and RC2 which are modular and upgradable. We are yet to experiment with a CIP like Rafale. So, we don't have any major issue there.
You need the software algorithms first... remember Russian Brain Drain? :rolleyes:

No. The bids were over. The same thing happened to Boeing and LM. They wanted to bring the RACR and SABR into the picture, but IAF did not allow any new revision to the bid after 2009. Dassault was lucky to get RBE-2AA ready in time for the competition. The Zhuk FGA-35 was a 2010 development, so there was no way they could being it to the table anyway. Maybe they did not expect Russia capable of adding an EW channel to the Bars in the 2008 upgrade.
No, Thales had RBE2-AA ready in time because it invested the money and top specialists to get it done. NIIP is a bankrupt company that can't even pay salaries.

I have always held the feeling IAF wanted Rafale from the start, right from 2007. Perhaps the reasons given to other competitors were merely excuses. Funny how the IAF said the F-16E had the worst performance of the lot.
IAF wants the best with ToT, that is Rafale.

RBE-2AA's IOC is 2013 with the arrival of the first 5 Rafales. IOC of Irbis may be a bit longer because of the development cycle of the PAKFA, but you can't discount the IOC of the Bars/Zhuk AESA that will come with the MKI. Anytime after 2012, because the Super MKI is supposedly meant to be in service in 2013-14.
IOC of the first RBE2 AA is last quarter of this year. IOC of Irbis AESA is years to never. Depends on how serious Russia gets on radar development and if they can bring the talent back. They failed at NIIP. Super 30 isn't getting an AESA but Irbis-E. The upgrade is to bring it as close to Su-35BM as possible.

I will not dispute it but you are talking about the MRCA in 2007. I am talking about what happened since 1999. IAF always wanted the Mirage-2000 and built up requirements around it. RFIs were sent out in 2004 for a 20ton MTOW aircraft. Due to delays in generating a new RFP Dassault withdrew Mirage-2000. Guess what! Even IAF withdrew the RFI and set up a new RFI without the 20 ton limit. That's how Rafale came to the competition in the first place.
If they built up requirements around M2000 then Rafale wouldn't have been the right category. They got rid of weight limits to test all available aircraft. Rafale won on being the best fighter at the best price and ToT. To say it was a preselected aircraft just because IAF loves Mirages is a bit of an insult to team Rafale.



That makes no sense at all.

We are looking at France for a 4th gen aircraft while developing a 5th gen aircraft with Russia. It is very simple. We are filling up the low end of our Air force with France while looking at Russia for high end. Don't take it the wrong way, these are simple facts.
It makes perfect sense. PAKFA is experimental while Rafale is a mature combat proven platform with production 5th gen systems. It might only be demi-stealth but its avionics are SOTA. Russians don't have them.

You completely missed out on evolution of said design in various tranches.
What, France doesn't do tranches, USA doesn't do tranches, UK doesn't do tranches? F-16 block series... Rafale F series, Eurofighter tranche series???? They are always in improvement and you will find that in the life of any programme in any military. You said MKI started off as air superiority but evolved, well Rafale did that from F2 to F3. Mirage 2000 did that from M2000C to M2000-5. I initially was talking about development to operation, but either way you cut it the differences are small. Even less so post-state.

Please show me a single equivalent of the near 4th gen Obj 195. Wait let's not forget a 5th gen fighter prototype. Then again, let's not forget they have an entire GLONASS constellation of satellites that India also has exclusive rights to while the whole of Europe will take a whole decade to have an equivalent. A whole new generation of submarines in the Borei and Borei II. Wait I just covered all 4 dimensions - land, water, air and space. :rolleyes:
Russia only wished the cancelled T-95 performed like Leclerc 2010. GLONASS existed before the fall of USSR and most of the satellites in operation were built in that time. La Terrible is more modern than Borei which is a reconfigured Akula II. I'm not talking about prototypes since 95% of Russia's never see fruition. :rolleyes:

Comparatively France has some electronics edge and the Mistral, maybe some radars(but we don't know). Ok. One major platform called Neuron, but it is classified as a TD. That's about it.
France has the edge in all electronics. Underwater, shipborne, airborne, land systems... Russian electronics industry is in shambles. That is why there is so much French subsystems modernising Russian platforms. :rolleyes:

You can call me a Russian fanboy. But facts speak for themselves.
Facts do speak for themselves so please open the eyes.

Right! Soviet accomplishments are not really talked about beyond history buffs. Su-35, MKI, Mig-35, PAKFA, PAKDA, Obj 195, Borei class sub, Bulava missile(with maneuverable war heads) etc are all Russian developments.
Right! What new systems started from scratch after the fall of USSR have been completed? Yak-130 and only because Italy did most of the design work.

IAF has already accepted a particular radar, we don't know if it is Bars or Zhuk. Whatever the case, the contract for the upgrade was signed in 2010, before the RBE-2AA was accepted.
Super 30 configuration has not been signed or accepted.

Mig-35 may not have any takers, but the radar is far from dead. Speak to any western expert you want and ask him to rate Russian tech against present gen European and American tech(including F-22), heck you will be surprised to know what they think. The Russians are already moving towards 6th gen aero engines while Europe is still a generation behind.
The radar is dead just like the fighter. NIIP is bankrupt and so is any development to finish the failed Zhuk AE. Ask any western expert and they will tell you Russia's electronics industry is a generation behind and the large reason why Russia has a hard time finishing anything. Russian engine technology is pretty weak considering the horrible TBO times and FOD susceptibility. One of the reasons MiG-35 failed so miserably, besides the failed radar, was the false TBO claims made about the Sea Wasp engine.

Don't forget that while France and Europe have been progressing while spending their own money, Russia has been leeching money off India and China for pretty much every military project. China has dumped a lot of money into aircraft and ship development while India has spent even more on aircraft, tanks, satellites, missiles, ships and subs(Gorky, Akula II) R&D. So, don't underestimate Russian capability simply because you are assuming their programs were never funded, which is far from the truth.
It isn't underestimating them when you know what a low level they are at. The average engineer/researcher age 63 and average work age 57. Russian brain drain isn't turning around. They cut R&D funding in half and turning to France to augment their equipment more than ever. Just look at the budget, just watch the round tables on foreign procurement. Russia is now in the top 10 of French export destinations. They aren't spending more money on R&D but importing tech they can't make themselves.
 

p2prada

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That makes no sense when PESA elements have to operate on the same frequency. That isn't independently.
I am talking about operation not function. Please understand.

You need the software algorithms first... remember Russian Brain Drain? :rolleyes:
You need 50 guys to make the software, I am sure Russia can find the expertise needed. Heck India has more brain drain than Russia. Also, it is not impossible to say Russian expats came back for developing these cutting edge technologies.

No, Thales had RBE2-AA ready in time because it invested the money and top specialists to get it done. NIIP is a bankrupt company that can't even pay salaries.
Lol.

IAF wants the best with ToT, that is Rafale.
Rafale had an equal chance of losing to EF-2000.

IOC of the first RBE2 AA is last quarter of this year.
We will see. IOC is achieved with the induction of the first model of Rafale with it. The first Rafale is set to be inducted in end 2013, not end 2012. You are a year early.

IOC of Irbis AESA is years to never. Depends on how serious Russia gets on radar development and if they can bring the talent back. They failed at NIIP.
Can you provide some proof of this? I am sure we will know if NIIP failed or not.

Super 30 isn't getting an AESA but Irbis-E. The upgrade is to bring it as close to Su-35BM as possible.
Haha! Funny as hell. I wonder if our Defence Minister is a fool for shouting himself hoarse in Parliament saying Super 30 will be getting AESA. The upgrade is meant to surpass the Su-35BM. IAF will receive the first Super 30 in 2012, for tests.

If they built up requirements around M2000 then Rafale wouldn't have been the right category. They got rid of weight limits to test all available aircraft.
It was GOIs decision. IAF did not want a new RFP. They actually wanted to continue with the old. It was only after Dassault withdrew that IAF created a new RFP.

Rafale won on being the best fighter at the best price and ToT. To say it was a preselected aircraft just because IAF loves Mirages is a bit of an insult to team Rafale.
Rafale wasn't preselected. Rather you can say IAF wanted a French aircraft, whichever made the cut would be fine.

It makes perfect sense. PAKFA is experimental while Rafale is a mature combat proven platform with production 5th gen systems. It might only be demi-stealth but its avionics are SOTA. Russians don't have them.
Of course. The reason? Because you say so.

What, France doesn't do tranches, USA doesn't do tranches, UK doesn't do tranches? F-16 block series... Rafale F series, Eurofighter tranche series???? They are always in improvement and you will find that in the life of any programme in any military. You said MKI started off as air superiority but evolved, well Rafale did that from F2 to F3. Mirage 2000 did that from M2000C to M2000-5. I initially was talking about development to operation, but either way you cut it the differences are small. Even less so post-state.
Those were basic tranches. I am not talking about software upgrades and system specific hardware upgrades. I am talking about rehaul and retesting of entire new airframes based on the first design. The F-15 went on to become the F-15E, same with F-16A/B to F-16 block 50/52. However, Su-27 gave birth to Su-30, Su-33, Su-34, Su-37, Su-35BM, and later the PAKFA(to a certain degree). You don't see a bomber version of the F-15 or a carrier version of the F-15. Similarly, Rafale does not have these difference either. It is incapable of handling air superiority missions like the Su-35 at one end and the bombing capability of the Su-34 at the other.

The updates you are talking about is like how MKI went through 4 phases with the Super 30 being the 4th and final phase known to date.

Russia only wished the cancelled T-95 performed like Leclerc 2010. GLONASS existed before the fall of USSR and most of the satellites in operation were built in that time. La Terrible is more modern than Borei which is a reconfigured Akula II. I'm not talking about prototypes since 95% of Russia's never see fruition. :rolleyes:
GLONASS satellites built by the SU had a 3 year life. No way can Soviet satellites exist today. In 1991 there were 12 operational GLONASS satellites. Today there are 24 GLONASS M satellites all designed and built by Russia with a life span of 7 years. Logic Mr Watson.

T-95 is ready for operational use according to the maker. Nobody can afford it and that's an entirely different issue. Leclerc will be a little girl in front of the big brute, even a lucky hit against Goliath isn't possible for ickle David.

As for Borei, Akula etc, the Russians don't think the same. Le Triomphant class was designed in the late 70s and early 80s like the Akula II timeline. Borei was designed in 1998. It is 15-20 years ahead in design. And you cannot deny the Russians have first class sub designs since the 60s. When it comes to classes, you can say you are second best in the world considering the American Ohio class was designed in the early 70s. La Terrible is a more advanced version of the Triomphant, but that's like comparing the Su-27 to the Su-35.

Except for Obj 195 and PAKFA, none are prototypes. PAKFA will come to fruition the same time as a Rafale F4 is released anyway.

France has the edge in all electronics. Underwater, shipborne, airborne, land systems... Russian electronics industry is in shamble. That is why there is so much French subsystems modernising Russian platforms. :rolleyes:
Agreed. But how long do you think it will take anyway? Electronics have a gestation period of 1 to 3 years. In 3-5 years they are obsolete. The functional life of most major weapons systems go upto 40 years. So, it does not match There is a chance the Russians have already equalized or even marched ahead because half their industry is still running on Indian money.

Right! What new systems started from scratch after the fall of USSR have been completed? Yak-130 and only because Italy did most of the design work.
Ok. Then for all the systems I had named, please show me a French equivalent;(Su-35BM, MKI, Mig-35, PAKFA, PAKDA, Obj 195, Borei class sub, Bulava missile).

Let me help - Mig-35 = Rafale.

Everything else = Zilch, Null, Nada, Zero.

Yeah, every one of these are Russian development. Not even a hint of Soviet here.

Super 30 configuration has not been signed or accepted.
Are you an effing fool. Contract was signed in 2010 because the upgrade was accepted. Or is it that even after Rafale contract is signed, it would still mean Rafale is not accepted. Use that thing between your ears man.

Russia wins large contract to modernize Indian Su-30MKI fighters - media | World | RIA Novosti

Geez- Lousie how stubborn can you get? Why do you think we are all so gung ho about the new upgrades. I wouldn't be talking about getting our first Super 30 in 2012 if we had never signed the contract in the first place.

The radar is dead just like the fighter. NIIP is bankrupt and so is any development to finish the failed Zhuk AE. Ask any western expert and they will tell you Russia's electronics industry is a generation behind and the large reason why Russia has a hard time finishing anything. Russian engine technology is pretty weak considering the horrible TBO times and FOD susceptibility. One of the reasons MiG-35 failed so miserably, besides the failed radar, was the false TBO claims made about the Sea Wasp engine.
The life cycle of their engines hasn't really affected our mission capability. There were no false claims made for the engine, or we wouldn't have been making a 100 of these here. The Mig-35 was heavier than Mig-29 and that's about it. As for the radar, like I already mentioned it was a prototype. I am pretty sure the Rafale can beat the PAKFA as is today.

As for Russian tech being a generation behind, it may be true. But the opposite could be true as well. Electronics industry is fluid. Today you may have nothing. Tomorrow you will have surpassed half the developed nations, something that is happening in China as we speak.

It isn't underestimating them when you know what a low level they are at. The average engineer/researcher age 63 and average work age 57. Russian brain drain isn't turning around. They cut R&D funding in half and turning to France to augment their equipment more than ever. Just look at the budget, just watch the round tables on foreign procurement. Russia is now in the top 10 of French export destinations. They aren't spending more money on R&D but importing tech they can't make themselves.
Of course, who wouldn't pass up a good supplier. Everybody knows the French are the best suppliers. You only talk money not politics. That's a good thing for all. Even if the Russians started working on electronics a decade ago, mature systems will take time to be showcased to the world. With the Super 30 upgrade, PAKFA, export competition of the BM and Mig-35 we will know where they actually stand in the avionics world. The systems on the T-90MS are all Russian, nothing French in it so things have been progressing there.

As for their budget, you need to add a bit of India to it as well. The fact that Russia is able to afford expensive French systems and run a parallel R&D proves they can manage things well enough.
 

Armand2REP

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Libya will buy 2 squadrons of Rafale :thumb:

Chief of Staff of the Air Force Libya Gerushi Saqr stated that "significant upgrade" the Air Force preference will be given to countries that "support for the revolution", in particular, France, Britain and the United States. As the press service of the Russian Committee for Solidarity with the peoples of Syria and Libya, the Libyan authorities intend to purchase in the near future, two squadrons of French fighter Rafale, as well as aircraft Mirage F1.

In addition, Libya is going to buy British trainers and the U.S. cargo aircraft C-130 Hercule and helicopters Chinook. Currently, the Air Force Libya almost entirely composed of Soviet aircraft and helicopters.

According Gerushi, Gerushi contracts signed under the previous regime, reviewed, and most likely will be canceled.

Recall that the shift of power to the Libyan Jamahiriya planned to buy Russia's Su-35 Su-30, MiG-35 and IL-76 and combat-capable trainer aircraft Yak-130.

Ливия будет закупать самолеты у стран, "поддержавших революцию" — Ливия, ВВС, самолеты - Росбалт
 

Drsomnath999

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RAFALE'S FSO HAS AN UNDISCLOSED DETECTION RANGE OF 130 KM
Flight testing of the Rafale's front sector optronics (FSO) system began in April, aboard the Dassault Mystere 20 "avion banc d'essai" testbed aircraft. It will be the first fully integrated optronic surveillance and tracking system installed on a European fighter aircraft. It is in some ways more advanced than equivalent systems in the USA, says programme manager Thomson Optronique.

Development has been held back because of the overall delays in the Rafale programme, but also because of the immense task of ensuring the system is fully integrated with the radar and electronic countermeasures to provide the multirole capability which is key to the Rafale.

The "eyes" of the FSO comprise the infrared system (on the right hand side) and TV/laser on the left, mounted on top of the nose, in front of the pilot. Thomson Optronique is responsible for overall integration and for the TV and laser ranging elements of the FSO, Sagem the infrared component. The signals from both devices are fed to a dedicated computer mounted directly below the scanners, between the radar and its processor.

The FSO provides air-to-air and air-to-surface surveillance. The air-to-air component and the air-to-surface is still under development. "The first flights we have made have given us good confidence in the system," says Thomson Optronique.


The FSO is slaved to the aircraft sensor system and can work either as a standalone sensor or in conjunction with any other sensor such as the radar, Spectra self-defence system, or missile seeker. It scans at the same angular speed and looks at the same area of sky or ground, according to the search/track mode set by the pilot. Interception, for example, requires a wide sweep, to look for targets, while combat sweeps involve smaller angles (the figures are classified).

The infrared scanner works in the 3-5mn and 8-12mn bands, providing a 3-5mn capability for the first time in the west, says Thomson Optronique commercial director Jean-Claude Vergnères. This wavelength provides "considerably better detection capability in humid conditions", he adds.

The TV provides tracking, identification and three-dimensional acquisition for weapons lock-on (using the laser ranging function). It has a narrow field-of-view of less than 1¼, for precision and high resolution (and therefore target identification) at long range.

Coupling of the FSO to the radar is set for 2001/2. The aim is to have the system up and running for installation in the F2 version of the Rafale by 2003, which will have air-to-air and air-to-ground capability. Full Rafale multirole capability comes with the F3 version, due to become available in 2006.

Thomson Optronique declines to give exact performance details of the FSO, but it is understood that at 20,000ft, for example, in air-to-air mode, the system will have an infrared detection capability of around 130knm, while laser ranging is possible out to about 33km, and the TV is capable of looking out to 45km.:D
FSO images can be viewed on the mid-level display or either of the main cockpit displays. Radar and TV images cannot be mixed, although work is known to be under way on ways of fusing the two images. At present, however, only discrete images of either the radar, TV or infrared can be viewed. Selection of which screen provides the imagery is through the pilot's stick-mounted Hotas control.


Rafales will also be equipped with the Damocles infrared air-to-ground targeting and "pseudo-recognition" pod developed originally for the Mirage 2000-9 sold to the United Arab Emirates (in which application it is called the Shehab). The pod brings full air-to-ground capability for day/night targeting, the "pseudo-recognition" capability providing limited intelligence on the nature of the target. It is compatible with existing and all currently planned future weapons, including long-range laser and TV guided and inertial navigation/global positioning system-guided weapons and missile imagery seekers. For imagery weapons, due to the "very high image quality", the pod will provide the reference image for the seekers. It can either work autonomously or with a laser spot tracker. In self-designation mode the Damocles has a range of 30km at 20,000ft with a temperature differential of 2k. For INS/GPS it provides real-time identification of moving or fixed targets with three-dimensional localisation, with a claimed range of 40km at 25,000ft. The infrared camera works in the 3-5mn range, while the 300mJ laser provides illumination and range-finding
Seeker gets on track
 

Drsomnath999

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Compatible with the Rafale aircraft carriers with a springboard



26/06/2012

That may give the French fighter new opportunities for export. After studies and simulations, engineers determined that Dassault Aviation's Rafale Marine is capable of taking off of aircraft carriers without catapults but with a springboard. For this, no change in structure would be needed over Rafale of French naval aviation, implemented since Charles de Gaulle using catapults. For the collection of the plane, an oblique track with strands arrest is necessary, however. For now, only Russia, China and India have, or will have, aircraft carriers with diving stop and strands. If the first two countries, the acquisition of Rafale is excluded, it is however a new opportunity for India. The latter, for now, plans to equip its two new aircraft carriers, and the Vikramaditya Vikrant, Russian MiG-29K. But New Delhi is also in phase with Dassault Aviation exclusive talks to buy Rafale for its air force. The contract, which could be signed in the coming months, does not include aircraft navalisés. But if India wants, it may have an alternative to the MiG-29K, with the advantage of its future fleet mix. For now, no application has been made in this direction, but the option is technically what is good to know.


The Vikramaditya is currently testing (© INDIAN DEFENCE NEWS)


The Russian MiG-29K (© RIGHTS RESERVED)


Burst and landed on the oblique position of the CDG (©: NAVY)

Outside India, the Rafale's ability to take off on a bridge ending with a springboard could, in the coming years, interest to other countries, like Brazil, which wants to develop to term of two new door aircraft and would thus not have to opt for buildings catapults. This, while the Rafale is already proposed to modernize the Brazilian Air Force.
Ideally, any carrier or aircraft carrier with a platform and being wide enough to accommodate an oblique track could, could be affected. The most critical technical point concerns the spaces available in the flight deck to accommodate the machinery of the press brake, related strands of stops. New British aircraft carrier can be equipped, but it is less evident for the Italian Cavour, which would probably require heavy work. For now, the buildings of the Royal Navy and the Marina Militare must implement aircraft short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B. But this program already suffers long delays and extra costs, even though the F-35 is just entering the development phase of its systems, generally considered the most complex aviation program.
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