Gan economics aren`t where GaA economics are currently, or in the immediate future.
Offering a GaN antennae for MMRCA would be more expensive, when price is the sole determinant at this point.
I don`t doubt that Captor-E will get GaN modules (or something better) at some point, but I doubt it is what India is being offered.

I would be astounded that Selex/Euroradar had offered a GaN based dish for the MMRCA competition.
I think its safe to assume that we are going to see a GaAs antenna in operational Typhoons around 2015 IF an external order is found or (bloody big IF) the four partners stop dillydaling about the issue.

Yeah, no wonder Germany made it to Paris in a matter of weeks… 😀

Oooops, I’ll get my coat…

Just before I go; Sorry, couldn’t resist. *shuts door behind me* 😀

Cheap shot :p

According to Eurofighter the TVN comes with the Typhoon 2020 variant proposed to the likes of Turkey, Qatar, UAE and Oman amonst other potential buyers. A couple of reliable sources reckon Oman could be the first user of the 2020 variant, maybe indicating that they’re due to sign a contract for a number of Typhoons.

I imagine the work going on with the TVN is pretty much done, its been in development since 1995-6 so now its just a matter of doing some ‘very minor airframe modifications’ and fitting ‘one’ to an aircraft & performing some flight tests, I believe. I say ‘one’ because Eurofighter stated that when the time comes to test the TVN they’ll initially fit one, then two.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Eurofighter also stated that the TVNs can be fitted to a Typhoon “without” any airframe modifications, did they not?

Looking at this picture below I’m not so sure; if you take a look at the area just under the rudder, there looks to be a bit of airframe to take away so the TVNs will have room to maneuver:

Then again maybe the airframe will not need any modifications, if you take a look at the diameter of the TVN it is smaller than the fixed nozzle already fitted to the EJ200, leaving plenty of room for the nozzle to maneuver. So maybe no airframe modifications needed? What do you think?

EE

The problem is not the airframe, its the FCS. They have to re-write a great big chunk of it.

Cheers

In France people are friendly to guests, so they let EF have the 2 fights. In real simulations and exercises Rafale dominates though.

Then the Spanish are awfull guests, and the Germans are positively horrendous. 😀

First a few quick corrections to some mis-conceptions here.

– Having said that, it really does just come down to money. If a country has enough money to spend developing these systems, they’ll develop the technology. It really becomes a cost vs capability mentality. In terms of aircraft that weren’t designed for stealth from the ground up, BAe claims the stealthiest is the F/A-18E/F. The Eurofighter and Rafale did have some stealth technology applied to them, especially from the front aspect, to reduce their signatures. In fact, IIRC, that was why the Eurofighter went from the original rectilinear inlet design to the slightly curved variation on the production model.

– It should also be noted, that in terms of capability, the U.K. was looking at buying a squadron or two of F-22’s, even while buying the Typhoon, but they realized they simply couldn’t afford them.

A few quick corrections:

1º “In terms of aircraft that weren’t designed for stealth from the ground up, BAe claims the stealthiest is the F/A-18E/F”
– AFAIK BAE never claimed such a thing. They´ve claimed a bucket load of times in the last 15 years that the plane that was the “stealthiest” bar the Raptor is the Typhoon.
I think that you are mixing a quote by Bill Sweetman on Ares a few years ago from EADS engineers, and they never claimed such a thing, they compared the SH with the F117, not the others 4,5G´s.

2º “It should also be noted, that in terms of capability, the U.K. was looking at buying a squadron or two of F-22’s, even while buying the Typhoon, but they realized they simply couldn’t afford them.”
– How was the saying? “The boot was on the other foot”?
UK PLC never seriously considered buying a “couple of sqn´s of Raptor´s” despite being offered to them by the Clinton Administration, that and a Carlo Koop paper from two years ago that proposed that the RAF should ditch the Phoon and buy the F-22 (before that there was an identical paper for the US Marine Corps!).

Cheers

Sintra :

Certainly not Sintra .
Think about new sensor integration then sensor fusion integration and then , the learning curve with the new sensors and what new techniques could be employed to fully use the aircraft .
No joike here .
It took the AdlA and the MN 3 years to built the whole picture in AtoA provided by the Pesa RBE2 compared to the RDY . They are still finding new ways TODAY to use the radar , 9 years later . Same with Spectra , which has been updated 4 times since 1999 . At each step , it takes a couple of years to really understand what can be done operationaly .
As an example , it would take the Typhoon at least 3 years to integrate something like the A2SM , including the fusion with the radar , the FCS and the most wanted interaction with Praetorian .

On the other hand , it is NOT gonna take long for the Brimstone integration on the Rafale because the onboard sensor’ s fusion is already there . The French will only learn how to use the weapon , which can also take 2 to 3 years in itself .

You ‘ll see that when the Typhoon will get its AESA radar , it ‘s gonna take 3 to 5 years to fully operate the stuff , trust me .

So , when I say that the Typhoon is at least 5 years behind the Rafale , you understand that I am NOT only talking about technology but about overall capabilities .
The 2018 Rafale will still be superior to the 2018 Typhoon . In fact , after 2018 , I see the Rafale getting an even bigger lead on the Eurofighter .
Just the fact that an AESA conformal array on the Typhoon is near to impossible unless to review some parts of the airframe like the nose , and to add larger LRXs which lead to a new re-design of the wings .
Same with a possible Aesa jamming array “a la Rafale” , no room enough .
Then , there is still the RCS difference …

Cheers .

You are trying to prove something while you are completely ignorant on the “other side” develompment, capabilities or possibilities.
Your entire assesment is based on “faith”, you dont have any evidence, but you “believe”, its identical to the type of discussion used on football forúns.
Its still, well sorry, ridiculous.

Presently , the Rafale is fully “omnirole” with an alreary founded futur way beyond the RBE2-AA capability while the Typhoon is at least 5 years behind in overall capabilities in every Ops you can think of , including the AtoA warfare .
.

Thats ridiculous