RAFALE'S MINI ENCYLOPEDIA FOR IT'S FANBOYZ

[sancho]

AESA experimentation news

Olivier Fourt, from RFI, has interviewed the team which will conduct experimentations in Mont-de-Marsan.

The interview reveals that the C137 will not keep its array : it will be unplugged to equip a two seater.

Interesting points (though only little is really new) :

range doubled (to about 200 km), compatible with the Meteor ;
submetric SAR imagery ;
eased maintainability ;
independent modules allow to assign them to different tasks...

Rafale News: AESA experimentation news

 

[jha]

^^^ Range doubled...? Radar range was just 100 Km. before..?

 

[sancho]

^^^ Range doubled...? Radar range was just 100 Km. before..?

Yes, but for a 3m² target.

 

[sudhir007]

Rafale tests Meteor air-to-air missiles - Brahmand.com

The Rafale multi-role fighter jet has successfully conducted initial test-firing of the new-generation long-range Meteor air-to-air missile system this month.

The Dassault Aviation-made combat jet, designated B301, carried out the test-firings from the Cazaux DGA flight test center in southwestern France on October 4 and October 10 during which two successful tests of the beyond visual-range (BVRAAM) Meteor air-to-air missile was conducted.

Produced by European missile maker MBDA, the ramjet-powered Meteor AAM is designed for air defence missions. Capable of intercepting targets at very long range, it will be a perfect complement to the MICA missile, which is currently used at shorter ranges for air-to-air interception, dogfight and self-defence, Dassault said.

On December 22, 2010, the French defence procurement agency DGA had ordered 200 Meteor missiles. A week after, the contract for integration of the Meteor missile on the Rafale was awarded to the industry, the French aircraft maker said.

Earlier this month, the Rafale became the first European combat aircraft in operational service equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar when the DGA took delivery of the first production jet fitted with the new advanced radar system.

The new RBE2 radar, which will replace the existing passively scanned array RBE2 radar on board Rafale, will provide the four+ generation fighter extended range for compatibility with the latest generation long range missiles, including the new Meteor missiles, and ability to detect low-signature targets.

 

[sancho]

Rafale tests Meteor air-to-air missiles - Brahmand.com

The Rafale multi-role fighter jet has successfully conducted initial test-firing of the new-generation long-range Meteor air-to-air missile system this month.

The Dassault Aviation-made combat jet, designated B301, carried out the test-firings from the Cazaux DGA flight test center in southwestern France on October 4 and October 10 during which two successful tests of the beyond visual-range (BVRAAM) Meteor air-to-air missile was conducted.

The RAFALE Omnirole Fighter: Pushing Forward on New Air-to-Air Capabilities

 

[Fanto]

Indian air force rocks

 

[sancho]

More Rafale + METEOR pics:

 

[DrSomnath999]

2018 for the Next generation thales LDP

It is in 2018 that could be delivered the first laser designation pod next generation (NG PDL) developed by Thales, whose 45 copies should be ordered next year. Designated successor of the Damocles pod, the PDL NG must be a development for which approximately € 450 million may be incurred. If the launch is confirmed, it will equip the French Rafale (Air / Sea) and Mirage 2000D at the end of the decade, and will be delivered until 2022.

When asked, the DGA and Thales have not been able to provide comments. However, in the summer of 2012, the Delegate General for Armaments Laurent Collet-Billon had clarified that "negotiation was fastened" with Thales on this issue.

Several studies upstream markets had already been awarded to Thales to work on a new pod, which would include a TV camera plus an infrared sensor to facilitate the detection and identification of small targets in support missions close fire or intelligence unconventional (NTISR). This was particularly the object of PEA Mastrid notified in 2009 to 30 million - a program which it is impossible to know today what were the concrete results, as the subject is the subject of a "black- out "in terms of total communication.

On several occasions, employees of Thales Optronics Airborne Systems (TOSA) were moved from the breakdown of workload coming PDL NG if the contract was not notified. A union of the company in February 2012 stated that 150 jobs consultancy could be removed in June 2012, and 100 production jobs early 2014. The launch of the operation the next year will be confirmed before raising fears completely of these employees.

Budget documents associated with the proposed 2013 budget law specify that the PDL NG will also "proposed export." In this highly competitive market, busy with references that are U.S. Sniper (Lockheed Martin) and the Israeli Litening (Rafael), the new product will be hard to Thales.

Historically, the sale of boats has always been closely associated with that of combat aircraft. But the recent example of the Emirates who are disillusioned with the performance of the Damocles pod now, had demanded the integration of the Sniper U.S. urges caution. Especially as India, which aims to get its first Rafale by 2016 (ie before the PDL NG is available) may also be required to make the choice of a nacelle ... American or Israeli, as it did in the 90s to equip its Mirage 2000H.
Objectif 2018 pour le PDL NG de Thales - Air&Cosmos

 

[perplexed]

2018 for the Next generation thales LDP

It is in 2018 that could be delivered the first laser designation pod next generation (NG PDL) developed by Thales, whose 45 copies should be ordered next year. Designated successor of the Damocles pod, the PDL NG must be a development for which approximately € 450 million may be incurred. If the launch is confirmed, it will equip the French Rafale (Air / Sea) and Mirage 2000D at the end of the decade, and will be delivered until 2022.

When asked, the DGA and Thales have not been able to provide comments. However, in the summer of 2012, the Delegate General for Armaments Laurent Collet-Billon had clarified that "negotiation was fastened" with Thales on this issue.

Several studies upstream markets had already been awarded to Thales to work on a new pod, which would include a TV camera plus an infrared sensor to facilitate the detection and identification of small targets in support missions close fire or intelligence unconventional (NTISR). This was particularly the object of PEA Mastrid notified in 2009 to 30 million - a program which it is impossible to know today what were the concrete results, as the subject is the subject of a "black- out "in terms of total communication.

On several occasions, employees of Thales Optronics Airborne Systems (TOSA) were moved from the breakdown of workload coming PDL NG if the contract was not notified. A union of the company in February 2012 stated that 150 jobs consultancy could be removed in June 2012, and 100 production jobs early 2014. The launch of the operation the next year will be confirmed before raising fears completely of these employees.

Budget documents associated with the proposed 2013 budget law specify that the PDL NG will also "proposed export." In this highly competitive market, busy with references that are U.S. Sniper (Lockheed Martin) and the Israeli Litening (Rafael), the new product will be hard to Thales.

Historically, the sale of boats has always been closely associated with that of combat aircraft. But the recent example of the Emirates who are disillusioned with the performance of the Damocles pod now, had demanded the integration of the Sniper U.S. urges caution. Especially as India, which aims to get its first Rafale by 2016 (ie before the PDL NG is available) may also be required to make the choice of a nacelle ... American or Israeli, as it did in the 90s to equip its Mirage 2000H.
Objectif 2018 pour le PDL NG de Thales - Air&Cosmos

Man..it is gonna kick some serious a$$ in the sub continent...

 

[sancho]

Man..it is gonna kick some serious a$$ in the sub continent...

If you mean the Rafale, no doubt about that, but I guess we will go for the integration of Litening pod instead of using the Damocles. Would love to see an integrated version below the nose, similar to F35s EOTS.

 

[Sergi]

If you mean the Rafale, no doubt about that, but I guess we will go for the integration of Litening pod instead of using the Damocles. Would love to see an integrated version below the nose, similar to F35s EOTS.

Sorry if it's toooo Noob questions
1. What will happen to the parts of the Rafale that we are going to replace with "our own / Isarel or Russian parts" ??? Means we have to pay for them evenif we aren't going to use them ??? So can we transfer them to other platforms like LCA ???
2. And will French allow us such integration that like we did in MKIs ( I think they will ) ??? Who will integrate these things into Rafale ??? HAL or the companies that will be providing parts ???

 

[Yogi]

@Sancho
Whats the detection range of MKI for 3m² target?

N how many targets n can be detected n locked by MKI n Rafale(ASEA)???

N what is the range of meteor missile???

 

[sancho]

Sorry if it's toooo Noob questions
1. What will happen to the parts of the Rafale that we are going to replace with "our own / Isarel or Russian parts" ??? Means we have to pay for them evenif we aren't going to use them ??? So can we transfer them to other platforms like LCA ???
2. And will French allow us such integration that like we did in MKIs ( I think they will ) ??? Who will integrate these things into Rafale ??? HAL or the companies that will be providing parts ???

It's not like we are buying a full package and then start to replace some things with others. You ask the manufacturer for changes, if he says it's technically possible, the rest is actually only a matter of costs. Rafale is wired to use any NATO weapon, that's why Raytheon is offering any weapon they have, but the issue is once, will the US government allow the integration and secondly how much will the French ask for the integration?

In case of the Litening pod that I expect, we simply won't buy the current Damocles pod, which is technically not as capable as the Litening anyway, but the integration into Rafale and it's system will cost us extra money, just like any addition of Indian weaponary, or for example JOSW/Pilum stand off weapons.

Wrt the MKI, you won't see such a high ammount of customisation at the Rafales we buy, because it has less weakpoints where we could add more capable techs. The MKI got French navigation and IFF system (will get this with the next upgrade), which are already available in Rafale, the EW system is one of the best available today, so no need for Israeli stuff here and so on. So besides adding Indian weapons as cost-effective alternatives to western once (Astra as a medium range BVR missile for MICA EM, Sudharshan LGB for Paveway LGB, Helina for Brimstone), we only have the choice to fund integrations that the French want to add on the fighter anyway, but didn't so far because of cost reasons. For example HMS, CFTs, the external wingstation, a higher thrust engine, or early integration of Meteor missile.

 

[sancho]

@Sancho
Whats the detection range of MKI for 3m² target?

N how many targets n can be detected n locked by MKI n Rafale(ASEA)???

N what is the range of metor missile???

The Russian puls doppler and PESA radars of that time were measured with 5m² and MKI is expected around 200Km for this size. The radar is able to detect 30 targets, RBE 2 PESA was given with up to 40 targets and since the AESA is a further development I think that will remain the same.
Can't tell you the exact range of METEOR, that is not that important anyway, because it is the speed that counts! Earlier gen missiles will have full speed only for a certain time in the launch phase, while they will be much slower later. That means the longer the distance between you and the target, the greate the chance that your opponent can avoid a hit or even outrun the missile. METEORs ramjet propulsion on the other hand provides full speed for the whole flight, that gives it a much higher kill probability compared to a AIM 120D, that might also have a range of 100+ Km, but less speed at the end.

P.S. Old is gold!

Here are some good sources for more infos about Rafale and it's systems, or Meteor:

http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/issue/cover/Serious-Squall_32315.html#.UIBaB1K2_Ew

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2012-07-08/theres-no-escaping-mbdas-meteor-missile

 

[arp2041]

Rafale clears Meteor safe separation test

France’s CEV flight test centre has completed two successful releases of the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile from a Dassault Rafale, moving the nation a step closer to fielding the weapon.

It is a positive news for Indian air force since Meteor has been offered with India’s purchase of Rafales from France , and it is likely that Meteor will also be Integrated with India’s Sukhoi-30MKI , when this aircrafts are due for Mid Life Upgrades (MLU) near 2015 .

Rafale clears Meteor safe separation test | idrw.org