Know Your 'Rafale'

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

Rafale Tested with Maximum Weapons Load – 12 Guided Weapons Underwing

Dassault Aviation has begun testing an upgraded variant of the Rafale configured to carry an expanded configuration of weapons and fuel. This configuration will enable the French strike fighter aircraft to attack more targets and conduct counter-air missions at longer range.

At present, the French military remains the single user of this impressive, but controversial jet fighter, since it failed each and every competition except the largest, most lucrative one – the MMRCA competition in India. But Dassault can't cash in this win, since even after two years of negotiations the contract with the Indian government hasn't been signed. The Rafale won that competition after it was selected 'the lowest bidder', against the Eurofighter Typhoon. But since its selection its cost escalated sharply and almost doubled, bringing the Indian government, currently heading for election, to develop cold feet about their decision to favor the French fighter.

Nevertheless, Dassault is committed to bring new capabilities to the Rafale, according to plan, upgrading the aircraft to the Rafale F3-R standard by 2018. These initial tst flights were only the first in a long series, additional test flights are planned to a complete the clearance of the flight envelope for this configuration, providing the Rafale full multi-role capability at extended range.

Equipped with this configuration, two Rafale aircraft represent the same potential as six Mirage 2000 class aircraft

This configuration comprise a full increment of six air-to-air and six air-to-ground weapons. The air-to-ground ordnance includes six Sagem/MBDA Hammer guided weapons (AASM), carried on two triple-ejector racks, designed specifically for the weapon. The AASM is deployed with one of three optional guidance methods utilizing a GPS guided, laser homing or thermally guided seekers. To extend its range the Hammer is also equipped with a rocket booster. Four MICA air-to-air missiles and two very long range Meteor missiles will be complementing the fighter's air-to-air capability. The MICA missiles are operational and can be employed with IR or radar guided. These Meteor missiles are yet to enter service – but they are expected to be fielded with the F3-R variant by 2018. In addition to that impressive weapons complement, Rafale will retain its Nexter 30M791 30 mm internal cannon, firing 2500 rounds/min. According to the manufacturer, equipped with this configuration, two Rafale aircraft represent the same potential as six Mirage 2000 class aircraft.

Since June 2013 all production aircraft configured to the new F3-04T-standard are equipped with the new radar, along with an improved front sector optronics equipment (also from Thales) and the DDM-NG passive missile approach warning system, produced by MBDA.

The weapons would take less than a third of the fighter's payload – the rest will be used to carry fuel to sustain the long range missions the fighter is required to perform. The Rafale can carry up to 9.5 tons of payload (21,000 lbs). To support missions at extended ranges the fighter also carries three 524 gallons (2,000 litre) fuel tanks weighing additional 6.7 tons (14,700 lbs) that will top up the fighter's internal fuel capacity of 4.7 t (10,300 lbs). These fuel tanks can also be used for 'buddy refuelling', further increasing the range and mission endurance of a Rafale-based strike force, a capability particularly important for the naval strike missions.

In the past the French Rafale could strike deep behind enemy lines utilizing the Scalp cruise missiles, as demonstrated in Libya in 2011. On such missions the Rafales carried two Scalp missiles and three 524 gallon fuel tanks. Other weapons typically carried by the Rafale include GBU-12/24 laser-guided bombs, GBU-49 GPS-guided bombs, AASM and Scalp cruise missiles. On maritime strike missions the Rafale M can also carry the Exocet AM39 Block 2 air-launched anti-ship missile. Since 2010 one of the Air Forces' Rafale squadrons, EC-1/91 has also assumed the nuclear strike role, carrying ASMP-A missile. By increasing the capabilities of its fourteen hard points, (eight under the wings), with an empty weight of about 10 tons [22000 lbs], the F3 variant is limited to 24.5 tons [54,000 lb.]) thus being capable of carrying 1.5 times its own mass.

Clearance of this new configuration was initiated and funded by the aircraft maker Dassault Aviation, in collaboration with the Direction Générale de l'Armement (the French Defense Procurement Agency DGA). According to Dassault, the rapid development of the new configuration is attributed to the open architecture of the aircraft, designed from the outset to perform all of the missions previously assigned to seven different types of aircraft in France.

The Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air Force in 2006. Of the 180 aircraft ordered by France to date, 126 have been delivered. India has also selected the Rafale for its Medium Multi Mission Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) requirement, planning to order at least 126 of the jet fighters. However, two years after the selection New Delhi has not finalized the contract with Dassault and, pressed by the upcoming elections, the Indians are considering a limited order of 18 aircraft to be produced in France, as a near-term solution to get the deal in motion.

The defence ministry headed by AK Antony has developed cold feet after the cost doubled compared to the original estimate. With the general elections just months away, Antony is unsure about the fate of the deal, a defence ministry official said. India's Diligent Media Corporation (DNA) reports. In January 2012, when Rafale was declared the winner, its price was quoted between $60-65 million (Rs373-Rs400 crore). Today, according to the , its price could now soar to $120 million (Rs746 crore). The second bidder, Eurofighter, had quoted $80-85 million (Rs497-Rs528 crore). The price hike would mean that the deal would cost India nothing less than $28-30 billion (Rs1.75 lakh crore-Rs1.86 lakh crore) DNA quoted an anonymous Indian Air Force source close to the negotiation committee. In 2007, when the tender was floated, the cost of the programme was $12 billion (Rs42,000 crore). When the lowest bidder was declared in January 2012, the cost of the deal shot up to $18 billion (Rs90,000 crore).

The Rafale fleet with the French Air Force and Navy currently totals almost 120,000 flight hours, including 16,000 in operations. Since mid-2013, production Rafale aircraft are equipped with an active array RBE2 AESA radar from Thales.

Expected to become operational in 2018, Rafale F3-R will be an evolutionary upgrade of the current F3 variant, a part of an ongoing enhancement of the French fighter. Among the improvements are the introduction of RBE2 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, developed by Thales. This radar has already been fielded with at least 60 of the Rafales. The first to get the new radar was aircraft #137, that rolled of the production line in October 2012.

Since mid 2013 production aircraft are configured to the new F3-04T-standard are equipped with the new radar, along with an improved front sector optronics (FSO-IT) equipment (also from Thales) and the DDM-NG passive missile approach warning system, produced by MBDA. Another new capability to be integrated with the fighter by 2018 will be the PDL-NG new-generation laser designation pod, currently under development at Thales. Other planned sensors upgrades related to air-to-surface capabilities include assisted target recognition and enhanced sensor resolution, enabling the Rafale to attack ever more elusive targets.

According to Dassault, the ongoing effort will ensure more robust detection, tracking and identification of emerging air-to-air threats, and increase the Rafale's survivability with new low observable modes and with the latest advances in electronic warfare systems.

Defense Update:Rafale Tested with Maximum Weapons Load - 12 Guided Weapons Underwing - Defense Update:

 

[halloweene]

Incoming discussion between french MoD and indian NS Advisor M. Shivshankar Menon thursday 30th. #MMRCA ?

 

[prohumanity]

Yes. With Russia,it's a buyer seller relationship but atleast a reliable one. Did you forget that the other seller was trying to sell India F-16s ,slightly better than what this seller sold to Pakistan. After selling F-16 to India, Paki would have made some noise and this seller would have sold Paki somewhat more improved F-16 and then, India would have grumbled ,getting a further upgraded version. You get the point. The goal of this other seller was to create a destructive competition between India and Paki. Indians used their smartness and rejected F-16 in very first round. In contrast, Russia never said they will sell high tach weapons to Paki...never.. and that's what I admire about Russian sellers.
In my opinion, India need to make its own fighter jets in hundreds...and if it has to buy..buy from a seller who doesnot play double game of supplying weapons to India's enemies.

 

[SajeevJino]

In contrast, Russia never said they will sell high tach weapons to Paki...never.. and that's what I admire about Russian sellers.
In my opinion, India need to make its own fighter jets in hundreds...and if it has to buy..buy from a seller who doesnot play double game of supplying weapons to India's enemies.

Why did you forget China

 

[ersakthivel]

The 150 JF-17s the chinese are seling to PAK have Rd-series russian engines only.

 

[ersakthivel]

No comment as of yet from Indian Air Force, HAL and Ministry of Defence on price escalation of Rafale jets. This shows that they don't care about the sensitivity of this price increase by Dassault Aviation.

In the name of national security (such as threat from China) IAF will buy this french aircraft anyway in one way or another.

Dassaut has already quoted its price in the tender. So they can not increase it in future.

tejas mk-2 with multi ejector racks and CFTs can easily do 80 percent of all missions that will be done by RAAFLE.

If MMRCA contract ends up costing 20 plus billion dollar for india then it is huge waste of money.

 

[ersakthivel]

It will be very difficult to justify your medium strike aircraft costing twice your principle air superiority aircraft. And in any case,@ $150 million, we have no reason not to open discussions with Eurofighter Typhoon, at the least, if not indicate willingness to scrap the deal completely.

TYPHOON is more costlier than RAFALE. And not fully developed for ground strikes . Also there are some vibration problems which could not be resolved which makes TYPHOON perform at only 80 percent of its full capacity in RAF.

 

[ersakthivel]

Rafale is simply the best 4.5 gen fighter readily available to us from a highly trusted partner (France) whose aviation industry is second to none (especially, if you include the civilian sector). Had it been a part of IAF now (in decent numbers), our airpower would have been unrivaled in Asia (not just South Asia but entire Asia).

However, due to bureaucratic red-tape & gaps in long-term planning, the contract has not finalized so far. Tejas FOC is less than 18 months away (max.). Tejas MKII FOC would be completed within 5-7 years. The new Tejas would be as good as latest Mirage2000-5 models that IAF has eyed for long & even better in many respects (except for slight constraint in range + payload). There is no reason why Tejas MKII should not be inducted in big numbers. IAF has already committed to it. Just that, the numbers should be hiked significantly.

Now, within a decade, we would have a flying squadrons of FGFA, Super-Su's, upgraded Mirage, upgraded Mig29 (a true multirole, just simply air-superiority), upgraded Jaguar, naval Mig29's & Tejas- all in IAF colors in our skies Qualitatively, we would be second to none in Asia. To make up for the numbers, & in keeping with IAF's budget constraints, Tejas should be inducted in numbers that would allow economy of scale. Export market would be an added advantage.

Envisioning the above scenario, I do not see where Rafale fits. Rafale would have been a splendid workhorse if ordered 5-6 years years or even till 2-3 years ago. However, we are late which is a boon in disguise for us. The fortitude & unwavering commitment of ADA folks has given us Tejas- which is second to none & is the perfect fit for a war of attrition- which is what it would be like, in any future conflict with ChinPak.

Having said that, the contract for Rafale would be signed & we would see it flying in IAF colors, within 2 years.

& there is nothing we can do about it.

Only the new govt after election can do it. I hope the new govt has no love for swiss bank accounts and huge import bills for no particular technological edge.

 

[arnabmit]

Day by day it looks like Rafale is another MoD+IAF scam.

None of the letters to MoD about change in L1 selection criteria has been answered since the tender was finalized.

UPAII seems hell bent to order at least 18 fly-away Rafales before elections so that the deal cannot be scrapped by the next government.

IAF is even willing to denounce the FGFA, to make the MMRCA deal go through. Next maybe IAF will ask ADA to "stop wasting time" on AMCA, if current trends are anything to go by.

 

[halloweene]

Full article with photos

le portail des passionnés de l'aviation: Visite de Le Drian à Mérignac : Des avancées majeures pour le Rafale, mais pas que...


Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Visit Le Drian Merignac: Major advances for the Rafale, but not that ...
Visit on January 10 important sites of the French defense industry, the defense minister Jean Yves Le Drian is especially made for Dassault Aviation in Merignac for a visit to the charge before delivery of the contract development of a new standard Rafale and the signing of a defense pact SMEs. The portal aviation enthusiasts attended the meeting, and we will deliver here all the information we have gained from this rich morning.

Visit of Dassault Aviation in Merignac

Around two hours, Mr. Minister, accompanied by the CEO of Dassault Aviation Mr. Trappier have
visited the assembly of the Falcon 7X and Rafale chains; guided tour during which the Minister was able to discover innovations of the production line, with another between the presentation of a digital tablet on which companions can validate and monitor of progress (reducing the passage pounds of paper documents and all the paperwork to sign manually), but to also Rafale assembly side to remotely control electrical cabinets, or other facilities for improving employee productivity.

Down the hall where Lindbergh are aligned Falcon 7X in various stages of assembly, could not fail to notice the presence of a beautiful brand new Falcon 50 Surmar as highlighting the luminous immensity of the hangar or nothing drags and everything is clean ... except a huge coffee stain few meters before the red carpet leading to the Falcon 50 (a y'en who has heard about the country ...). Maritime surveillance provides a new operational life before the four servants in the ETEC devices for transporting government. The unit shown is the second unit to be delivered in some time after the first aircraft delivered in September 2013. Work are not trivial since the plane was literally cut in half, to allow change many electrical equipment, installation large windows monitoring, but also radar and optronic systems. Unlike other Falcon 50 Surmar the hatch to drop a chain SAR flight has not been installed.

Awarding of contract F3R


Before an audience of journalists, elected officials, industry representatives concerned and several hundred employees of Dassault Aviation, but Thales and Safran Fresson mainly came for the occasion, (recalling in passing that the Rafale does not live that Dassault), Mr Le Drian, after a speech a few minutes officially handed over the contract to develop the standard F3R, worth 810 million euros (just over one billion assuming a previous contract lifting risk dating from late 2013) in the hands of Mr. Trappier, under loud applause from the audience. The signal sent to participating in industrial Rafale program is strong, and the message is clear. Despite the current state of finances, the Minister wishes to acknowledge the effort made in maintaining the ability of France to remain independent master in the field of combat aircraft. The message also trumpeted abroad, where the main prospects will be reassured that the aircraft continues to have the support of the state.

The new standard F3R, and future updates

The new standard F3R includes studies and tests related to the integration of the new European Meteor long-range missile, and the integration of the new laser designation pod being developed by Thales. Will be added to the new Mode 5 / S IFF (identification friend or foe), improvements in Radar RBE2 and also adding or improving features Spectra electronic warfare system.
Upstream of study programs (EAP) and Incas Tragedac will not be included in this standard, but in a future, making more important day intervene for the big improvement Rafale mid-life, around 2020. These preliminary studies programs also confirm that the burst program is still actively being developed. We return to these PEA in a dedicated section.
The development of standard F3R should come to an end in five years, for an expected mid 2018 qualification. The update is mainly about software, all airplanes in a park in the Air Force and the Navy will be upgraded very quickly with just a PC and an Ethernet cable ...


By cons, we will not know the exact content of the updated electronic warfare system, the Rafale, the SPECTRA. I ventured to ask whether the program would DEDIRA party standard F3R, I did not get a direct answer. At best I will learn it flies and works well, my partner of the day it will just more of a mischievous smile says it all ... while staying in the most total blur. DEDIRA is revealed in Air & Cosmos, to reduce the radar signature of the aircraft program. If the demonstrator program flies, then it can not be shipped on board the B301, which had also made a journey on the road to carry out some tests to test the DGA Bruz center. Coincidence? Other indiscretions military had helped establish almost with certainty the existence of a so-called "active cancellation" feature that allows the Rafale to evade the opponent detection based on the capabilities of Spectra. If DEDIRA program actually flying on Rafale and the B301 development with no change in visual order, active anulation Rafale is something that can then be more or less confirmed as at least being studied .

Rafale production

During his speech, the minister recalled that the current military planning law covering the current period up to 2019 will be the acquisition by France only 26 Rafale. Gie Rafale can not produce less than 11 Rafale per year, the rest of the production is a big thirty Rafale will be sold for export. Le Drian said that 2014 is a year where it will be totally unrealistic to expect a signature of a first contract. First client referred, India. Then come the "Gulf" countries, to spare their susceptibility are not mentioned in public by the authorities. Yet they are clearly identified, with two large prospects, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. After export shipments, following the fourth installment will be delivered to the French forces, which was confirmed by the Minister, who also discussed the control of a fifth tranche needed to at least reach the target of 225 aircraft Rafale fighter forward (when will replace the last 2000-5 and 2000D).

Drone program

During his introductory speech, the speech of Mr. Trappier had not missed its target by promoting industrial defense capability, and recalling its desire to launch two UAV programs. The first, a successor to the Neuron demonstrator program, which should be a Franco-British struggle unmanned aircraft program, and the second, a MALE monitoring the CEO of Dassault Aviation appoints MALE 2020 program.
The response was immediate. When Mr. Trappier took the microphone, he announced that the program UCAV (UCAV Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle for English) should, according to his wishes be launched jointly in the course of this year. But remained vague about the possibility of a MALE UAV program, but stressed its necessity.


Model of Franco-British UCAV on the stand of Dassault Aviation at the last Paris Air Show. (Credit aviation portal)

Posted by Bruno Etchenic at 1/28/2014 12:17:00 PM
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[arpitabanerjee]

Nice Postttt

 

[Drsomnath999]

Nice Postttt

HI

BTW which post was nice according to you !!

CHEERS

 

[SajeevJino]

Major Indian procurements delayed until after general election, say officials​

Decisions by India to buy long-deferred materiel to modernise its military will almost certainly be taken by the new government that succeeds Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress Party-led coalition in late May, officials have said.

Senior military officials told IHS Jane's that with a general election a few weeks away, it is highly unlikely that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will conclude any of the many tenders awaiting closure.

These include the purchases of 126 Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft, 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 15 Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, and six Airbus A330 tanker transports.

The decision to licence-build 106 additional Pilatus PC-7 Mk II basic turbo trainers by the Indian Air Force (IAF) also awaits approval by the incoming government, as do plans to acquire 197 light utility helicopters for the Indian Army and the IAF.

Major Indian procurements delayed until after general election, say officials - IHS Jane's 360

 

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

HAL team's visit to Dassault facilities in France on hold

New Delhi: The visit by a HAL team to Dassault facilities in France has been put on hold amid efforts by the government to verify the linkages between AgustaWestland's parent firm Finmecannica and other European defence companies. The defence ministry earlier this month scrapped a deal with AgustaWestland for procuring 12 VVIP choppers after charging it with breaching contractual obligations.

A Rafale aircraft. Reuters A high-level team of HAL was scheduled to visit France to visit the facilities of the Rafale fighter jet as part of the ongoing negotiations between the two sides for jointly producing the aircraft but it was cancelled at the last moment, said defence ministry sources in New Delhi. The HAL team was also scheduled to meet other aerospace companies such as Eurocopter and Turbomeca for exploring potential to work on ongoing and future projects, they said. The visit has been put on hold at a time when after cancelling the VVIP chopper deal, India is verifying linkages between European firms and the Finmkecannica group.

The French firm Dassault Aviation was selected by India to supply 126 Rafale combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force as part of its Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal expected to be worth over Rs 60,000 crore. India and France are holding negotiations on commercial aspects of the deal and have had differences on several points, including the work share for Reliance Industries Limited in the project. HAL has to produce 108 of the 126 Rafale aircraft in India as the lead integrator in the project while 18 aircraft would be supplied directly by the company from its facilities in France.

After scrapping AgustaWestland's contract to supply choppers, the defence ministry has also barred Finmecannica and its five other group companies from taking part in its military exhibition Defexpo-2014 in New Delhi. Proposals to procure equipment from its group companies have also been put on hold including one to buy heavy-weight torpedos from WASS to equip the under construction Scorpene submarines in Mumbai. The defence ministry has also initiated a process to blacklist the Anglo-Italian firm and is holding consultations with law ministry and CBI in this regard before taking a final decision.

Read more at: HAL team's visit to Dassault facilities in France on hold | Firstpost

 

[halloweene]

blah blah... what's the relation between alenia and dassault???

 

[bhramos]

HAL team's visit to Dassault facilities in France on hold


http://www.firstpost.com/india/hal-teams-visit-to-dassault-facilities-in-france-on-hold-1365445.html

New Delhi: The visit by a HAL team to Dassault facilities in France has been put on hold amid efforts by the government to verify the linkages between AgustaWestland's parent firm Finmecannica and other European defence companies. The defence ministry earlier this month scrapped a deal with AgustaWestland for procuring 12 VVIP choppers after charging it with breaching contractual obligations. A Rafale aircraft. Reuters A high-level team of HAL was scheduled to visit France to visit the facilities of the Rafale fighter jet as part of the ongoing negotiations between the two sides for jointly producing the aircraft but it was cancelled at the last moment, said defence ministry sources in New Delhi. The HAL team was also scheduled to meet other aerospace companies such as Eurocopter and Turbomeca for exploring potential to work on ongoing and future projects, they said. The visit has been put on hold at a time when after cancelling the VVIP chopper deal, India is verifying linkages between European firms and the Finmkecannica group. The French firm Dassault Aviation was selected by India to supply 126 Rafale combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force as part of its Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal expected to be worth over Rs 60,000 crore. India and France are holding negotiations on commercial aspects of the deal and have had differences on several points, including the work share for Reliance Industries Limited in the project. HAL has to produce 108 of the 126 Rafale aircraft in India as the lead integrator in the project while 18 aircraft would be supplied directly by the company from its facilities in France. After scrapping AgustaWestland's contract to supply choppers, the defence ministry has also barred Finmecannica and its five other group companies from taking part in its military exhibition Defexpo-2014 in New Delhi. Proposals to procure equipment from its group companies have also been put on hold including one to buy heavy-weight torpedos from WASS to equip the under construction Scorpene submarines in Mumbai. The defence ministry has also initiated a process to blacklist the Anglo-Italian firm and is holding consultations with law ministry and CBI in this regard before taking a final decision. PTI

 

[halloweene]

That is true ... And sad considering there's no link between finmecanicca and Dassault. That said, it has no impact on negotiation process advances.

 

[pankaj nema]

Today it is EXACTLY TWO years since the announcement that Rafale
has been selected

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/31082-dassault-rafale-wins-mmrca.html

On 31-01-2012 This decision was announced

Two years have gone and still NO agreement

:drunk:

 

[Drsomnath999]

French Air Force enters the AESA Era

Aircraft C137 was the first Rafale to be delivered with the RBE2-AESA radar.


On 24th October 2012, a new type of Rafale took to the skies from the runway at Mont-de-Marsan (BA 118) Air Base, home of the French Air Force's CEAM test centre. From the outside, there was virtually nothing to distinguish it from the dozens of Rafales that had already visited the base. However, hidden inside the radome was the promise of an air combat revolution: the RBE2-AESA, the first European active electronically scanned array radar to be installed on a combat aircraft.

"Altogether, we have already performed about 60 flights with the new radar," Lieutenant-Colonel Laurent Royer, Head of the Rafale evaluation team at the CEAM, explained last summer. A total of 90 flights are planned under the experimentation programme with a view to handing over an initial batch of four aircraft to 1/7 fighter squadron "Provence" in Saint-Dizier early in 2014, along with an initial concept of operations to take best advantage of this new capacity, particularly in air-to-air combat.

Change of tactics.
"The trap we must avoid is that of simply transposing our current tactics without taking account of the vast potential of this new antenna," explains Royer. That potential has several dimensions. First, radar coverage: with range increased by 50% and an ability to scan up to 70° on either side of the aircraft axis, the volume scanned by the RBE2-AESA is much larger than that of the RBE2-PESA (see below). According to Royer, the number of tracks that can be detected simultaneously is increased almost by a factor of three.

For the pilot, this extra information could have reached saturation level, but apparently this is not the case: "We wondered whether we would need to rethink how the information is processed for the crew, but the existing interface easily aborbs the extra load." This is also the case for the computer and its capacity to integrate the new data. "Evidently, there is no problem; the system remains fluid," Royer declares.

The antenna of the RBE2-AESA (left) comprises around 1,000 transmit/receive modules. The exact number is classified.


New perspectives.
The jump in the radar's scanning capability opens up new perspectives for Rafale pilots in the air defence mission. The details of these tactical changes remain classified, but Royer gives us a few hints: "Two AESA Rafales flying at standoff distance behind a wave of fighters offer a capacity that is comparable to a mini-Awacs." Though the exact range of the new radar is classified, it is estimated at 150 km or more against a non-stealthy fighter-type target.

In Beyond Visual Range combat, this crucial advantage can be used to make the Rafale even harder to detect. While AESA-equipped aircraft hang back, out of range of enemy aircraft weapons and sensors, other, non-AESA Rafales can approach the targets with their radar switched off, maximising the element of surprise to launch their Mica missiles using target designations transmitted by Link 16 from the AESA Rafales. An concept of operations similar to that of the US Air Force, which has already announced its intention to use its AESA-equipped F-15Cs for long-range target detection, allowing the stealthier F-22 to fire its missiles without being detected.

Clearly, the arrival of the Meteor at the end of the decade will be another game changer. The new ramjet-powered air-to-air missile will offer a maximum range similar to that of the RBE2-AESA. Further tactical changes will be required at that time.

Nowhere to hide.
The other advantage of the AESA is its ability to detect targets with much smaller radar cross sections (RCS) than the existing PESA, at the same range. "We have already peformed trials with low-RCS aircraft like the Grob 120, TBM, Epsilon and, of course, the Rafale, but the ultimate test will be the Neuron UCAV," Royer explains. The demonstrator (more readily available than an F-22 or B-2!) will be used to accurately characterise the performance of the AESA against stealth aircraft. The CEAM will also be testing the radar's resistance to countermeasures — a complex process since it will involve exposing the radar to French jamming systems (Spectra, etc.) whose implementation requires relative discretion. A great deal of work was required in preparation for a small number of test flights to evaluate performance in this domain.

Initially, the CEAM had a single aircraft available for the test campaign: Rafale C137, delivered in autumn 2012. This was a pre-production aircraft, without spares for maintenance of the new sensors. The evaluation team had to wait for delivery of the first production AESA aircraft (B339, a two-seater) in September 2013 to be able to validate the new air-to-air tactics with two aircraft. In the air-to-ground mode, the task of the CEAM was essentially to check for degraded performance compared with the RBE2-PESA, since no improvement was expected. That is why the AESA radar was installed on a two-seater, Rafale B305, for terrain-following tests. According to Royer, the operation takes around two hours.

"Plug and play".
France has only ordered 60 AESA radars, but it should be possible to install them on any aircraft in the Air Force or Navy fleets. Once they have been upgraded to software standard F3.3 — which is now the case for all French Rafales — any aircraft can be fitted with an RBE2-AESA radar. Accordingly it was important to verify on a real aircraft that the radar complied with this "plug and play" requirement. The one change that is needed is a new radome to accommodate the new antenna, which comprises around 1,000 transmit/receive modules. The new antenna, which is around 20 kg heavier than that of the RBE2-PESA, simply requires the installation of an extra hinge to attach the radome to the airframe. Royer explains that, as soon as the aircraft is powered up, it recognises the new antenna and immediately reacts like an aircraft equipped with an AESA radar.

How will the AESA radar subsequently be deployed in the forces? As the specialists in the air-to-air combat domain 1/7 fighter squadron "Provence" in Saint-Dizier will be the first to bring this new capacity into service with an initial batch of four AESA Rafales. Beyond that, decisions have still to be made. In Royer's opinion, the 60 antennas should be deployed in all squadrons to make the most of the multi-mission concept. Until then, the specialists at the CEAM will continue to refine concepts of operation in order to provide operational units with an initial turnkey capacity, which will subsequently be honed through day-to-day experience within the squadron.

(English version by Duncan Macrae)


"CAPACITIES LARGELY SUPERIOR TO THOSE OF THE MIRAGE 2000-5F"
radar_Général J.RodeInterview with General Joël Rode, former Commander of the French Air Force's CEAM test centre

What is your assessment after the first phase of testing of the AESA radar?

What I understand today, based on my experience as an air defence pilot and my discussions with the evaluation teams, is that this new radar will give the Rafale capacities that are not only largely superior to what it can do today, but also to those of the Mirage 2000-5F, which is the French reference in air-to-air combat. In addition, the arrival of the Meteor made the integration of the new radar imperative.

How will this new capacity be transferred to the forces?

Experimentation is still in progress, and many areas of the operating envelope have still to be validated. An example is electronic warfare, which will be significantly impacted by the arrival of the RBE2-AESA. We also have a lot of work to perform concerning the use of the radar on a day-to-day basis, in order to determine new tactics in line with its performance. We also have to prepare our technicians for the arrival of the new system, to ensure that it can be easily transferred from one Rafale to another.



"OLDER-GENERATION" RBE2-PESA WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE
The arrival of the "active" RBE2-AESA in no way signals the end of the road for the "passive" RBE2-PESA. Only 60 AESA radars have been ordered by the French Air Force and Navy, who will therefore have to learn to live for many years ahead with their "older-generation" sensors. This is why work is still ongoing to upgrade the PESA radar. The Rafale evaluation team at Mont-de-Marsan will soon start testing new enhancements designed to boost electronic warfare performance. This software upgrade aims to improve performance in electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) to enable the radar to continue to function properly even in the presence of advanced jamming systems. Such potential threats — absent in Libya and Mali — must be taken into consideration to ensure that the Rafale has a credible capacity in a scenario of forcible entry into more heavily defended territories. Altogether, around 60 flights will be needed to complete this experimentation, which will subsequently be applied, via a simple software retrofit, to all French Rafales.
Work has also focused on the enhanced terrain-following capability of the new radar. Until now, during high-speed flight at very low altitude in poor visibility, the aircraft relied preferentially on a digital terrain model. Using the radar for terrain-following will increase autonomy, since the RBE2-PESA will now allow the Rafale to "see" the terrain beneath the aircraft, in order to determine the best flight profile to remain below the enemy's radar horizon. The CEAM has performed several missions in support of this effort, including flights over the Emirati desert to test this capacity in real-world conditions.

French Air Force enters the AESA Era - Air&Cosmos


This part really surprises me a lot

The new ramjet-powered air-to-air missile will offer a maximum range similar to that of the RBE2-AESA. Further tactical changes will be required at that time.

i think one part is wrong from the author
either range of meteor missile or max range of Rbe 2 aesa radar

CHEERS

 

[halloweene]

Old article printed one year ago , dunno why he posts that today....