Summary of Piotr Butowski’s article on Zhuk-MAE by Summet at BRF:
Current Zhuk-MAE is just a prototype if Phazotron gets Indian funding they could work on the proposed and more advanced version.
Irbis looks anyway as a more mature technology, at least for me.
Pit here are the important pieces from that very informative article by Piotr Butowski:
*Phazotron Offering Indian companies a Significant share in radar production.
*Piotr Butowski says that India plans to use active radar on LCA and to apply active antenna to one of the upgrade stages of BARS radar onboard Su-30MKI.
*Due to limited funds phazotron adopted known solutions for the radar.
*In MAKS 05 antenna had 700 mm diameter, 1088 T/R modules divide into 272 blocks. Antenna reflector was directed 20 degrees upwards since majority of targets are found above. Weight was 450 kgs.
*During redesign radar body was perforated to reduce weight and light magnesium alloy in the structure subsituted.
*After these modifications radar weight reduced to 300 kg and a further weight reduction programmer saw antenna diameter reduced to 600mm with 680 modules [ 170 blocks with 4 modules each]. Antenna got a vertical reflector and power consumption reduced to 5-6 kW due to reduced antenna diameter enabling existing Mig-29 systems to cool it down. However, range decreased from 200 kms to 130 kms.
*To make radar in time heavier components from Zhuk-ME were used. So new radar Zhuk-MAE is a hybrid. One prototype undergoing ground test and other for Mig-35 prototype.
*X-Band radar with search range of 130 kms for fighter aircraft. Manufacturer claims that through careful selections of the range between radiating elements deflection of the antenna beam to +/- 70 degrees was achieved without parasite lobes.
*Tracks up to 30 targest and engages 8. Weight in between 220 kg to 240 kg of which antenna is 105 kg.
*Except T/R modules everything is manufactured by Phazotron.
*Current design is not definitive, and depends on the operational plans for radar and aircraft. Diameter can be made 700 mm again and if other components are simultaneously upgraded, its possible to have a weight below 280 kgs and still maintain 200 kms range.
*Next design phase will see return to 20 degrees look up antenna as was shown earlier. This will broaden scanning zone by 20 degrees in azimuth when banking the aircraft.
*Increase in T/R modules per block is planned but lack of processing capacity in control system and limitation of modules have held this back.
*Further development may result in integration of vivaldi tapered-slot antenna [as in AN/APG-79 or Thales RBE-2A AESA for Rafale] offering a wide range of operational frequencies.
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