eagle1First contract for SCAF devlopment has been signed yesterday february 6 between France and Germany
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eagle15 october 2011 on Air & Cosmos :
GaN evolves in the X band
A GaN Spectra transmitter demonstrator is expected in 2014.
In UMS foundries’ laboratories, equally shared by EADS and Thales, a revolution is rising. Next year, a X-band gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors production should be validated. This is a first in Europe.
Since that year, UMS had already succeeded in mastering the production of components operating in S-band GaN, aiming Thales Ground Master radars family’s market.
But the realization of X-band elements remained hitherto the preserve of the United States. For now, active antenna radars developed in Europe, as the RBE2-AESA of the Rafale, use gallium arsenide (GaAs) components as X-band hyperfrequencies amplifiers : “A same size GaN brings the promise of a gain factor of 5 on the power emitted” said the chief engineer of armaments Xavier Grison, the Directorate General of Armaments. The future of airborne radar is hence in balance on this technological revolution. “With the GaAs, the room for improvement is low and the current radars are already at their upper limit in terms of performance, “added the engineer.
GaN X-band components to be qualified in 2013.
For several years, favored by successive upstream studies programs (USP), the Directorate General of Armaments had promoted the emergence of this technology. The last USP dated, known as Ganymede, should lead to the realization of X-band components prototypes representative of those that will be used in an operational system. Under the current schedule, this step should be reached within two to three years. But next year, the GaN industrial process will already be qualified, which means that the manufacturing process will be mastered and the performance and reliability of the components will been clearly characterized.
Applications are yet to be found by UMS to penetrate wider markets for GaN components in order to ensure a significant workload for its plants.
Compared to GaAs, which was quickly needed in the wireless telecommunications, GaN components present fewer potential market outlets in civilian business. According to Xavier Grison, it will take at least five years before we see first operational applications of GaN on airborne systems.
Spectra improvement.
Rafale will undeniably benefits of GaN technology in short or longer term. Already an USP, called Incas (Integration of new capabilities to Spectra), examines the replacement of existing GaAs emitters by GaN ones. As part of this USP, a GaN Spectra transmitter demonstrator is expected for the end of 2014. The potential gains expected are increased emission power,increased efficiency, and a wider bandwith.
Again, the commissioning of such systems remains bound to the timing of Rafale evolutions which are not expected until the next decade. Even more futuristic, but also possible: replacing existing radar nose antenna by conformal ones, smart “skins” that could be easily spread over the cell combining radar, jamming, communications and other purposes …
In the shorter term, DGA expects that GaN components could find their first operational applications in ground systems like anti-IED or other decoy systems jammers. For its part, the civilian industry could adopt this technology to develop power components for mobile phones base stations, for example. The space industry is also interested: ESA and CNES have helped fund some developments around the GaN components and their possible “spatial” applications, expecting to use them in future communication satellites. In Europe, UMS is the only chance to see the emergence of a completely independent industrial sector in the field of GaN. The challenge is important because, as they had done for GaAs, the United States do not hesitate to apply an embargo on GaN circuits
.
http://www.air-defense.net/forum/topic/15062-spectra-et-ce-que-vous-savez/?page=16
GaN is on Spectra with the F3R qualified in 2018, in 2025 for RBE2 NG and MFAs.
eagle1The 10-15 years was quoted in 2017. The similarities with Nimrod in terms of interfering with major airframe components and balance during the upgrade is actually quite relevant. To date nothing even nearly as complicated has been delivered by the Rafale program, so the track record is null.
The 10-15 years was already quoted in the early 2010’s, MFAs were already considered at that time for around 2020. You might think it is complicated but in the end MFA will come by 2025 on the rafale, you will see.
eagle1To date the rafale program has an exellent record delivering on schedule and on budget the comparison with Nimrod is irrelevant. 10-15 years project yes and it has started long ago, de-risking is done hence the multi-billion dollar contract to develop the full F4 standard with MFA. It is officially launched so I don’t understand your point.
eagle1It may not be the main one, just one of many problems. You have to find a way to integrate those 12 panels, install a cooling plan, route power to them and do all this around existing structures like fuel tanks. Then you have the impact on weight and aero performance, with 6 of the panels appearing to be installed in the moving LE of the wing. This will affect the FCS and probably even the structural testing given that you’re now moving about a heavier surface in flight.
The French air force is not in a live or die situation if they are not delivered by 2025, which is just as well.
Not really, I think the new SPECTRA system would essentially be doing what AN/ASQ-239 does now except with GaN modules and on a less stealthy air frame. My objections are based around sound facts about the complexity of the process. It is the sort of ‘upgrade’ (redesign) you could get half way through and then realise that it is either impossible or not VFM. If you look at the QE Class carriers and the proposal to make them CATOBAR, one would think that simple by comparison. And that’s a matter of a system being put on a very large vehicle where weight, space and performance aren’t as big an issue. But turns out it costs several billion pounds and was therefore cancelled.
Well if a random poster on internet can spot risks linked to a program then I guess that hundreds of engineers form Dassault/Thales who are working on the topic for several years have done their work in terms of risk assessment before contracting for several billion dollars. It is a bit presomptuous from your side to think that you would know better than all the people actually on the process.
eagle1Cable routing might be a difficulty but if it is the main one this is very reassuring. Still Dassault and Thales are officialy committed to deliver those GaN MFA by 2025 and the French air force is counting on it. Rafale program has a long story of being on time and respecting the budget envelop. Unless something is completely messed up it will be a reality.
I would say that Dassault/Thales/DGA/Mindef who are ordering the F4 standard know what they art doing. I think that some remain skeptikal because this is disruptive technology, not the usual incremental improvement. Sometimes some one sets a new standard in a given industry (iPhone,spaceX etc etc)
eagle1How many MICA IR, MICA EM, and Meteors can the Rafale be fitted with? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the forward underfuselage pylons fitted or the centerline pylon(s) fitted with anything but an external fuel tank
Only rafale A :
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eagle1You are welcome. Not directed at you obviously.
Yes the AFM article is interesting as it is rare to have such detail…For the current F3R standard it is quite fuzzy to undretsand precisely the scope of this standard beyhond the obvious & most visible things. We lacked such an article.
eagle1The Captor-E scheme first appeared when? And how many years between then and now? And that was a very simple upgrade by comparison. It’s taken 5 years since the development and integration contract was signed. But somehow here we’re talking about a new radar, an 11 array EW system, an OSF upgrade, a helmet and new weapons being integrated in the same time? Yeah I think my scepticism is based on experience and sound fact thanks.
What you don’t understand is that before the contract for the rafale F4 was signed several de-risking studies with flying demonstrators were already there to proof the concept. When contract has been signed for F4 development they don’t start from scratch and they know what they can deliver and what they can’t deliver.
From AFM in 2017 :
The DGA oversees a number of research programmes aimed at promoting advanced technologies for the Rafale in the field of sensors, especially for the RBE2 radar, as the Rafale Programme Director explained. We will soon launch the AESA NG programme, which will supplement the MFA [Multi-Function Array], CARAA [Capacités Accrues pour le Radar RBE2 à Antenne Active, enhanced capabilities for the active RBE2 radar] and MELBAA [Modes et Exploitation Large Bande pour l’Antenne Active, wide-band operating modes for the active array] projects in order to help mature technologies to be produced from 2025 for Standard F4.2.
The CARAA demonstrator first flew in late 2015. It is composed of numerous receptors, enabling the creation of radar lobes optimised by advanced calculation techniques to cancel jamming in many directions simultaneously. The first flight of the MELBAA demonstrator is expected in late 2017. The trials will focus on dedicated types of targets: slowmovers, helicopters, fighters hiding in the Doppler beam, stealth targets etc. Further developments will include interleaved modes that will be further refined thanks to the appearance of a new generation of calculators powerful enough to provide the processing power required to exploit these modes fully.
Like it or not the F4.2 with MFA and everything standard is the baseline for any new export prospects from now on.
eagle1Well you were shown AFM interviewing a program director, an official publication from Dassault Aviation, an internal document from Thales where the image come from and you just decide not believing it. That’s your problem.
But I will nevertheles give you a 4th confirmation from the French air Force :
http://www.portail-aviation.com/blog/2019/01/31/le-scaf-par-ses-concepteurs/
Breton: Le Rafale va bénéficier des radars tuiles, et d’une mise à niveau en connectivité pour l’intégrer au SCAF. Nous introduirons des « Remote carrier » rapidement pour pouvoir les expérimenter en opération. Nous intégrerons aussi de l’IA dans le Rafale vers 2025.
translation :
Breton: The Rafale will benefit from the radars tiles, and a connectivity upgrade to integrate it into the SCAF. We will introduce “Remote carriers” quickly to be able to experiment them in operation. We will also integrate AI into the Rafale around 2025.
eagle1St John, I don’t know where you get your info but you are just wrong. Or my guess is that it is easier for you refusing to believe it ^^
eagle1What’s your source to say that those rafales could not theorically be upgraded later to full standard ?
eagle1Range is defined by engagement (burn through). Detection is about scanning rate. You’ll have to prove the issue of simultaneous usage ease for GaN because the F-35 radar manages those things fine with GaAs.
Or for the Rafale, it could or could not be. Anything can happen in 6 years, yellow vests on the rampage, another crash. The link I provided also states that the contract for development and integration was only issues last week. ‘Development’ is pretty open-ended really and prone to delays and problems. People argued back in 2008 that Captor-E would be read in 6 years, but guess what, only Captor was assessed because in reality only it was functional. Same rules apply to F4.
And work has been ongoing on Bright Adder for some time too. Another issue is AoR.
EA is not limited to the radar for the F-35, it is a combined system utilising far more antennae if you read the link. The radar and MADL antennae are just resources it draw upon.
GaN is much more performant than GaS, that did not mean GaS did not work well, it is just that the future is with GaN, it is the next big leap in radar tachnology.
As for rafale F4, development has been contracted and till date Dassault/Thales/Safran/MBDA were always on schedule for the rafale program unlike some of the competition due to a lack of political support. There is no reason to believe it will be late at this stage. Program history speaks for itself.
I maintain that F35 EA is limited to the frontal areas. Other antennas are here for self protection (EW) not EA, too small for that role. Rafale F4 won’t just have “antennas” but MFA compatible with EA. That’s two different things.
I think you have some difficulties admitting the rafale F4 brings some trully innovative feature that are genuinely “disruptive”…Even the F35 is left behind with those GaN MFAs+AI.
Go on Dassault official publication if you want to double check. Page 4 :
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/dae/sponsors/sponsor_rafale/img/fox3_20.pdf
eagle1Yes, thx for the pdf !
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From Thales Power Point giving a glimpse of where will stand the MFA
http://www.microwave-rf.com/documents/14h00%20DMS_%20V%20DUPUY%20%20Y%20%20MANCUSO.pdf
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