Indian Military Aviation News and Discussion

[Arun_S]

[quote name='Raj Malhotra' date='22 June 2011 - 07:10 PM' timestamp='1308749557' post='112025']

There were hotly debated web reports (refer keymags) that UAE found French AESA RADAR being offered wanting in comparison to their older F-16 radars. France offered to upgrade the radar to be comparable with F-16's. Further it seems that GaNs modules may be facing teething problems and I wonder if France has licked it? lastly as I understand software is very very important part of AESA radars and can France match USA?



And yes I understand the importance of Leh, take off, landing, maneuver issues (in lay man terms) but I just wanted to know if French are offering enough or it would be high price for mediocre goods?

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Comparison of French Rafael and the US teens which are in reality baby boomer (viz retiring generation) I am assuredly say that overall Rafael is head and shoulder above the teens, and that the value for its high price is very much worth it.



Big down sides of the teens is as follows:

1. Radar and Avionics:
   • US does not give the source core for AESA, and more importantly all the avionics in their crafts (including the data-fusion and net centric framework) to allow IAF to create its own net-centric warfare solution that is meaningful for IAF threat perception, doctrine and tactic.
   • Teens are trojen horse, that allow US to remotely be updated (in real time) of what the aircraft is doing, and it can be shut down or even behave contrary to pilot input. One does not have to recall Op-Parakram when the Indian navy ships left their petrol station and came back to home port. They were spoofed by a western power system to belive that they have been ordered to come back home. Their AESA is cable of exceptionally high data rate communication with sats above and just one beam glace is enough, that the airbourn user will not get to know.
   • US mil R&D and products are now frozen in time for a long time to come due to serious economic problem. French and Indian effort will better them even further (even if it not already done).
2. Air performance: (Endurance, range, max take off weight, high altitude takeoff, air combat maneuver, mission payload, SEAD, air defense)
   • Is truly a base function of engine thrust to weight ratio and airframe strength and its weight. No matter how much makeup teens put in the frame is from bygone era that is truly baby boomer age. Rafale is OTOH top noth and lots of room to grow and improve. The engine is similarly closely developed and mated during airframe definition time, and there is only so much change one can do on engine envelope before all the rough edges start to show up. Again eth Rafael outshines teh teens big time
3. serviceability and availability
   • Rafale again is much superior compared to teen design that 30-40 years old.