Dassault Rafale, the Stealth fighter you never knew it was.
Rafale is officially said to have a frontal RCS of about 0.1m2 and comes under the category of Low observable (LO) aircraft. But with the aid of SPECTRA which can perform “active cancellation”—receiving a radar signal and mimicking the aircraft’s echo exactly one-half wavelength out of phase so the radar sees almost nothing, the RCS is reduced to about 0.06m2.
But it doesn’t stop there. Dassault has admitted that a new upgrade package is almost ready for operations which would further decrease the RCS of Rafale to that of a Sparrow! Called DEDIRA (Demonstrateur de Discrétion Rafale / Descreet Rafale Demonstrator) it aims to improve the SPECTRA suite on the F3R version of Rafale. This program is linked with another one called INCAS (Intégration de Nouvelles Capacités à Spectra) which deals with the integration of GaN modules in RBE2 and SPECTRA suite along with GaN modules incorporated ‘smart-skins’ for all-passive day/night and all weather long-range detection and targeting capability involving all passive sensors available to sensor fusion.
The DEDIRA program will further improve the active stealth aspect of SPECTRA to bring down the frontal RCS of Rafale close to 0.0006m2. For reference, the unofficial frontal RCS of Raptor is 0.0001m2 without active cancellation, which is a Very Low observable (VLO) aircraft. DEDIRA is already integrated on a test Rafale numbered B301.
http://tejasmrca.weebly.com/military-aviation/dassault-rafale
Those who underestimating RAFALE and claiming GRIPEN-E which is istill need to be matured, should learn about other jets.
GRIPEN HISTORY
The basic design published in its initial phase of GRIPEN
As the Eurofighter program developed, BAe helped SAAB work on the p.106 design for Sweden to have its independent fighter based on separate needs and design requirements.
The Gripen's Ferranti-Ericsson PS-05/A X-band pulse Doppler radar has three times the processing power of the Viggen's PS-46/A radar, but only 60% of its volume and weight. The PS-05/A has all-altitude look-down capability, resistance to jamming, and provides a number of operating modes. Air-to-air modes include:
*Long range search and track.
*Multiple target (up to ten) track while scan.
*Short range, wide angle search and track.
*Automatic gun and missile fire control.
Air-to-ground modes include:
*Search and track.
*Ground and sea target track while scan.
*High resolution mapping.
*Air-to-surface ranging.
GRIPEN -E
With 39-8 being used mainly for airframe and general flight control tests, a second prototype (39-9) will be used as a tactical systems testbed, while the third and final single-seat prototype (39-10) will fly as a production-standard airframe. The twin-seat Gripen NG demonstrator (39-7) that provided much of the risk mitigation for the Gripen E will continue to serve as a general test platform throughout the flight trials effort.
As previously highlighted by Saab, the Gripen E's enhancements over the earlier C/D models can be categorised in terms of survivability, sensors, general systems, payload, communications, performance, range, avionics, and human-machine interface/sensor fusion.
Survivability improvements include a reduced radar cross-section (though the extent of this is classified); a multifunctional electronic warfare system; enhanced radar warning receivers; enhanced intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance functionality and threat geo-location; multi-threat handling; as well as directional jamming and electronic countermeasures.
The enhanced sensors are primarily focused around the Selex ES Raven active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the Selex ES Skyward-G infrared search-and-track system. General system improvements for Gripen Einclude increased power and cooling for the AESA radar and electronic warfare systems. The increased payload comes from the two added fuselage pylon stations, two wingtip stations, and the integration of additional stores such as the Rafael Litening G4 advanced targeting pod and the RecceLite reconnaissance pod. Also, enhanced weapon systems such as stand-off munitions might be integrated.
Communication improvements for Gripen E include encryption and resistance to jamming, as well as a dedicated radio for a tactical air unit datalink, or 'fighter link'. The aircraft's enhanced performance is the result of swapping the current General Electric GE F404 engine for the more powerful F414G (to be designated F414-GE-39E for Gripen E), and the additional 1,100 kg in internal fuel will increase its radius of operation (depending on mission profile and loadout) from an estimated 432 n miles to 700 n miles.
The Gripen E's new avionic system is based on the ARINC-653 standard software interface, and the open-architecture/commercial off-the-shelf components
