France to pitch for naval version of Rafale

[cerberus]

A high-level French team is set to meet senior officials of the Navy soon to brief them about the naval version of fighter jet Rafale as India works on the design of its next indigenous aircraft carrier- Vishal.Defence sources said that during the meeting, the French side will give a presentation on the various aspects of the naval version of Rafale and the benefits it will bring at a time when the Air Force will operate Rafale too.

The Air Force is set to acquire 36 Rafales under a government-to government deal.

The development comes when the Navy is in the design phase for the next aircraft carrier.

Sources said that India has written to four countries, including France, seeking proposals for the design of the aircraft carrier that will have over 50 planes on board.

While India currently operates two aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Viraat, the latter is set to be decommissioned soon. The country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant is already under construction in Kochi and is scheduled to be handed over by end of 2018.

Sources said that one of the basis of the design will be the aircraft component of the carrier.

“At this moment, we are doing with what we have,” the sources said. The Navy will deploy MiG 29K fighter aircraft on Vikrant. However, it is not clear if the Navy will stick to MiG 29K or go in for a new aircraft for Vishal.

As per the Navy’s plan, Vishal would be a 65,000 tonnes aircraft carrier and will be about 300 metres long and about 70 metres in width.

While the exact propulsion system for it has not beeen decided, sources indicated it could well be a nuclear one.

“Given the long life cycle of a carrier, about 50 years, the cost of the nuclear propulsion will be recovered as nuclear means longer duration and better availability,” the sources said.

France to pitch for naval version of Rafale - The Economic Times
@PARIKRAMA

 

[cerberus]

India, France discuss expanding Rafale deal

On the eve of French President Francois Hollande’s visit, negotiators from India and France are looking at expanding the Rafale deal after the first 36 fighter jets are delivered to the Indian Air Force as per original plan.

The government-to-government deal for 36 jets was agreed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France in April 2015. Since then, the defence ministry cancelled a previous tender to purchase 126 multi role fighter jets arguing that the deal would be too expensive. The French president is scheduled to arrive on January 25 and he will be the chief guest for the Republic Day.

Dassault Aviation’s Rafale was the selected platform in the 126 aircraft tender as well. As negotiators scramble to prepare a document on the Rafale deal for the Modi-Hollande summit meeting, there is no official word on whether the commercial agreement would be inked. Inclusion of the “option” clause to buy more aircraft is one of the unresolved issues.

Reports from France, quoting unnamed sources pegged the deal at approximately $9 billion, but it is unclear if the package would include the cost of weapons and training. Also resolving the offset obligations was the hardest parts in the negotiations, where the two sides have reportedly achieved a breakthrough. With depleting fighter strength, IAF was looking at the Rafale deal to add some strength in its wings.

But the Air Force headquarters too has not come up with a road-map on how the gap of 90 aircraft would be filled as the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft will need more time to become fully combat ready.

Modi and Hollande are expected to give a fresh push to the Rafale deal for different reasons. For Modi, it will be arming the military, whereas for Hollande it would spur economic activities in the backdrop of the economic emergency that he announced.

A follow-on order for three more Scorpene submarines to be manufactured at Mazgaon dock in Mumbai could figure in their meeting. The first Scorpene submarine being manufactured with French collaboration is undergoing trial and expected to be inducted by later this year.

All the six submarines are likely to be delivered to the Navy by 2020 as per the existing contract. If materialise, the follow on order would allow the MDL to explore the air independent propulsion technology that allows submarines to stay under water for a longer time than conventional diesel-electric submarines.

 

[[Bregs]]

More clarity would be seen on Rafale-N when deal for the IAF is finally signed with regard to price, and spares package

 

[calmDown@all]

Entered service in 2002, the Navy Rafale F3 standard today is the most modern combat aircraft in service in France. Versatile aircraft with a capacity of intervention to long range with refueling, a versatile tool for a wide variety of tasks:

defense and air superiority
penetration and ground attack in all weather
capacity tanker
attack the sea in all weather and at a safe distance
tactical and strategic reconnaissance
nuclear deterrence
Thanks to the freedom of the seas and mobility conferred by an aircraft carrier, the Rafale is a major tool of power projection. Its naval platform that can overcome borders and travel up to 1000 km / day, it allows it to act anywhere in the world, at short notice, by exempting diplomatic or geographical constraints.

The Navy has 40 including 28 Rafale online.

The Rafale F3 standard to spent his first operational deployment when the mission Agapanthe 2010 and during Operation Harmattan off Libya where, with the Super Etendard modernized the flotilla 17F, they contributed fully to nearly 1 400 war missions, 4000 hours flight Air Group on board the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

The September 19, 2011 11F flotilla went on Rafale representing another milestone for Rafale growing power in the Navy.

On the Rafale, the concept "HOTAS" was pushed at a high level: the pilot has on the handle and the handle of a total of 37 gas controls that allow him, without letting go neither one nor the other , ordering all the weapons system, all sensors and autopilot. In air combat, the Rafale pilot can count on tremendous maneuverability of the aircraft, largely due to digital flight controls and exceptional engine power.
During the catapult, the automatic pilot of the aircraft has full control of the machine, the driver gradually taking the hand from an altitude of about 100m. The presence of two engines is an additional guarantee of safety, the pilot has the option to return to land on the ship for the loss of an engine on takeoff. Even safety during the landing, where the autopilot allows the aircraft to automatically keep the incidence of approach, the pilot over with only focus on the trajectory.

Burst 3
The F3 standard is the most advanced standard. It fits perfectly with the guidelines of the White Paper and has expanded the spectrum of feasible tasks by giving it nuclear strike capability, the ability to attack ships at sea and reconnaissance missions, completing versatility acquired from the previous standard (F2) which had already added the air-ground capabilities to those of the air-air from the first standard (F1). The Rafale embeds the latest generation of sensors, system architecture to merge information from different sources and an advanced human-machine interface. The system shows an intrinsic aptitude for integration and networking, autonomy and an increased operating range, a payload capacity multiplied by 2 over a Mirage 2000 and by 3 for a Super Etendard. In addition, its architecture remains open to change system capabilities with minimal changes to the "hardware".

Missions

On national territory, the Rafale participated in aerial backup as part of the permanent security posture. The qualities of the Rafale make it possible to fully ensure its participation in the security of the national airspace and flight-assistance missions. The Rafale was also engaged in specific devices deployed during high risk events.

Used on board the aircraft carrier, Rafale provides excellent implementation of flexibility due to its ability to apponter with a significant amount of undrawn ammunition or fuel. Its radius of action, implementation of security (two-drive), stability in the approach phase and being able to "clear" the plane, given its significant oil reserves the landing, to land at a great distance in case of technical difficulties or extreme weather conditions, lead to the Charles de Gaulle tactical use close to that of its major American cousins.

Features of the Rafale M

Wingspan: 10.90 meters
Wing area: 46 m²
Length: 15.27 meters
Height: 5.34 m
Masses :
empty 10 196 kg
maximum 24 000 kg
Maximum speed: Mach 1.6 (1290 nodes)
Approach speed: 120 knots
Patrol time: 2 hours without refueling
Ceiling: 50,000 feet
Passable Distance: 1000 nautical
Motorization

2 88-2 reactors SNECMA M 7.5 ton thrust
Armament

Armament air defense mission
Canon 30 mm DEFA 791.
MICA air to air missiles to guide electromagnetic and infrared guidance
In the near future: METEOR missile

Armament in air / ground mission
Canon 30 mm DEFA 791.
Laser-guided bombs.
GPS-guided bomb propelled or IR AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modular).
Cruise missile SCALP - EG
Missile AM 39 anti-ship.
Missile ASMP-A.
Electronic and optronic equipment

RBE-2 Radar
Optronic sensor OSF.
EMTI system.
L16 tactical data link
Spectra electronic system against-measures.
Damocles laser designation pod.
New generation reconnaissance pod.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

More clarity would be seen on Rafale-N when deal for the IAF is finally signed with regard to price, and spares package

That is very true. Dassault has to sweeten the initial deal to the extent possible, so that it can hope to harvest a deal for the Rafale-N. That is certainly going to be crucial, which in turn can lead to win-win.

About the Scorpenes; it stands to reason that a 'follow-on' deal should be done, the biggest gain will be the lack of a lead-time; given that the line still exists at MDL. This must be actively pursued, regardless of Project 75i.

 

[SrNair]

Foreign companies and nations will always advertise and advocate for their products .ADA should speed up their AMCA project .If we need our own place in this world we need good aircraft industry .

 

[faithfulguy]

Foreign companies and nations will always advertise and advocate for their products .ADA should speed up their AMCA project .If we need our own place in this world we need good aircraft industry .

I think AMCA will reset if India cannot get PAKFA. It will become a 4.5 gen aircraft with similar capabilities as Rafale. So AMCA is in a holding pattern now.

The way things are going, don't expect the first flight until 2030s...

 

[kaykay]

I think AMCA will reset if India cannot get PAKFA. It will become a 4.5 gen aircraft with similar capabilities as Rafale. So AMCA is in a holding pattern now.

The way things are going, don't expect the first flight until 2030s...

Well Rafale's avonics, weapon package and engine performance etc are already comparable to that of any fifth generation aircraft. If only it had more rcs reduction with internal weapon bays, it would have been called a fifth generation.

 

[SrNair]

I think AMCA will reset if India cannot get PAKFA. It will become a 4.5 gen aircraft with similar capabilities as Rafale. So AMCA is in a holding pattern now.

The way things are going, don't expect the first flight until 2030s...

AMCA is a medium category multi role AC .Pak Fa is a heavy fighter .

Of Course we know that .First flight will be in 2030 and induction will only a number of years after that .
But you will get your own AC and huge industry .That is all we want .