I was just reading on Wiki that BAE offered such a option, I wonder how. It seems pretty big and with no RN carrier using catapult to date… Maybe USN carrier would be big enough but even then I’ve doubt. Does anyone has more info on this ?

First MMRCA Squadron to Be Inducted Soon

The first squadron of Medium-Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) consisting of 18 aircraft is expected to be inducted into the IAF within three to four years of signing of the contract with its supplier.

Ottawa plans holding action on F-35s, may opt out

As the Tories batten the hatches ahead of an auditor-general’s report expected to be highly critical of the F-35 fighter jet procurement, indications are the government now intends to move into a holding pattern on the controversial project, awaiting further developments in the U.S. and inter-nationally before making a final decision on a purchase, which could come any time between six months and a year from now.

In the meantime, defence industry players in Ottawa are quietly laying the table for what many now expect will be the eventual unwinding of the sole-sourced program, which has been plagued by delays, technical glitches and cost overruns, to be replaced by an international competition. The likeliest contenders, should there be a competition, are U.S.-based Boeing, maker of the F-18 Super Hornet, and Dassault of France, maker of the Rafale.

Both are twin-engined aircraft, which adds an element of safety in the Far North that the single-engine F-35 does not have. The Rafale, like the F-35, comes with radar-evading stealth technology and, insiders say, could be built almost entirely in Canada. The Super Hornet has the advantage of being in wide use around the world, and would be highly “interoperable” both with NATO air forces and with Canada’s aging fleet of first-generation CF-18 Hornet fighters.

Never mind…

France, US arming Syrian rebels with anti-aircraft missiles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkvUtklUZbQ&feature=related

Look at 1.37m for the MICA IR, IRST function.

Even assuming that the Joust simulations were ‘decent estimates’ – the tactics used may be rather old school. A jet like the Typhoon may have some advantages due to higher SEP and a much better radar BUT then that’s like fighting the way the F-15s would….lots of engine power and lots of radiating radar scan power. It’s the brute way of attacking and was commonly the training used during the Cold War days.

EFT doesn’t have a “much better” radar. M-Scan means higer RCS from the front, higher operating cost, less resistance to jamming and detection (despite the 4th channel), can only track about 20 targets when the RBE can track about 40 targets (so in fact you need two CAPTOR to do the job of one RBE in “mini AWACS mode”). In the end the EFT won’t be flying faster than Rafale during any engagement since they’re both limited to Mach 1.8 (despite EFT not yet having been upgraded in T2 and T3 standard) only a bit higher (we hope).

The Rafale tries a different route, closer to 5th gen jets. Ironically the French Navy dominated Saudi F-15s in some wargame (I think it was called Red Shark).

The Rafale is taking the only route that is been taken all over the world. I’ve heard a lot of comment about the PESA been a dead end, but the same can be said about the M-Scan. The only difference is that going AESA will allow the RBE to keep the same back end, the same software etc. The same cannot be said about the CAPTOR vs CEASAR.

Nowadays, the focus is on “quiet” methods of attack. The Rafale won’t turn its radar on unless it depends on it. Most the attack will be done by the SPECTRA NG/INCAS type suites (whatever is bought by the IAF) and the OSF ( expect the OSF to be gradually built to the OSF-NG standard with a dedicated laser matrix IRST -there was some talk of developing an IRST in India as part of the offsets).

It’s better to say that nowadays the focus is on LO tactics and counter measures. You cannot be LO if you transmit no matter how much money you spent on LO features. As such and should no AWACS been available (which mean something is already going wrong… or very special) both side will try to emit as less as possible. The best technique to date is to have one aircraft emitting and then transmitting the data via L16. Rafale will also have the capability to receive/transmit via satellite giving it a edge. To date even Tranche 3A EFT will be fitted with M-Scan radar. Since the 3B isn’t going to happen IIRC, we’re still far away from having operational squadron of EFT fitted with CEASAR since all export market that would require it have been lost except Oman. And with their 12 to 24 aircraft requirement, they’re hardly enough to make AESA development profitable.
In addition RBE can also be used to transmit data and coordinates in a stealthy mode by directing it emission in a single direction with very small FoV which CAPTOR cannot do.

The Typhoon would be spotted by the SPECTRA/INCAS EW system which can figure out the direction of attack, especially if they use triangulation methods via multiple Rafales. The Typhoon’s emitter…it’s blessed radar…will chime in such a way that it would make the Typhoon easy to detect.

With missiles like METEOR endangering aircraft like AWACS and tankers, and self protection suite been more effective than ever, confrontations of the future won’t see fighter jet using their radar much unless it’s in jamming mode. IRST systems are going to be more effective and useful and it’ll soon be down to IR missiles, HMD and dogfight. While the Rafale has an edge with a long range IR missile as effective in dogfight as well, the EFT also has its advantages. So it’ll be down in the end on pilots training and luck.

The Typhoon’s CAPTOR-E would certainly enjoy a distinct edge in range and azimuth – but it is also a “inefficent” range advantage because the Meteor missile won’t be able to use probably 100 KM of the track range anyhow. All that the Typhoon pilot can do is plot an attack – use strategies, deception, perhaps send information to other fighter assets via datalink.

We don’t know enough about CEASAR and since the EFT consortium have had such a long habit of lying or at best exaggerating grossly the truth, they cannot really be trusted. So far India didn’t really believed them neither did Japan, Brazil and Switzerland.

By the time the Typhoon is within spotting range of the Rafale’s RBE2AA radar, the Rafale pilot should already have been well-cued by the SPECTRA system (or its INCAS future version). There would be plenty of time for the Rafale pilots to work out efficient firing solutions before the Meteor can be sent out by either side.

It’s not that simple. Both aircraft are deadly to each other as it’s. Meteor is a very good missile but will still be insufficient to win a fighter vs fighter engagement when ECM are in place. The point for EFT and Rafale would be to have one aircraft looking for targets and the rest flying in front and in missiles range. As soon as missiles are launched each side reveals its position and it’s down to training, cohesion, WVR combat etc.

So – the Typhoon pilot may not have much of an advantage at all. If you can see a plane but can’t shoot it down, you really can’t do that much after all…

Not if the rest of his/her squadron is flying in front and in their missiles range. The best advantage of the Rafale here is the ELINT/SIGNIT built in capabilities. BVR fight are EM fight first. With the capability to quickly detect, classify, share and use ECM techniques, plus MICA and Meteor you get a very deadly combo.

The problem is actually a lot worst when you consider the *overall system* of fighting.

– In the Indian case the Phalcon AWACS radar system on the IL-76 jet is designed to detect large targets at up to ~800 KM. It has access to a lot more electrical energy than a Typhoon’s radar assets. Even though the European AESA tiles are better by design, the Israeli tech has so much raw power that it would get a “first look” advantage anyhow…and then pass on that data to the Rafale.

– The Indian HAL-built AEW (being worked on in the lab at this time) will also serve as an effective radar plane. “AEW” stands for Airborne Early Warning….it means that the adversary would be detected early on and that information will then be passed on to up to 40 jets.

– The original HAL AEW was supposed to detect fighter targets at past 200 KM and with the AESA now available, that figure should improve easily by 50-60%. As many as 40 jets could be datalinked with ~3000 emitters supplying the radar picture.

In such an environment, things like an individual fighter’s radar range become a lot less important than Jon Lake imagines.

True but your analysis is unfair. In system vs system comparison you need to compare the advantage for the IAF to have Rafale + AWACS + Tankers + SIGINT/SIGNIT assets vs Typhoon + AWACS + Tankers + SIGINT/SIGNIT assets.
Put EFT in your analysis in place of Rafale and you get the same result.

In areas like agility, the Typhoon’s advantages are more at high altitude and not lower flight levels…which is common fighting ground. AND…if you have to “joust” that hard then you are probably so deeply into the WVR zone that anyone could win – BVR missiles are more agile than the jets they take down and can be fired even from a less agile jet just as effectively.

EFT advantages at high altitude is so far a myth. Maximal practical range to use BVR missiles against fighter targets will be between 80km and 100km. The only advantage of METEOR vs other types is that at 100km it’s supposed to retain the same energy it had at 50 km, while AMRAM and MICA will be completely exhausted and only useful against non manoeuvring big targets like tankers.

Assuming that all the Meteors are exhausted by the time the adversaries get into the “merge”…the MICA IR would offer an immediate firing solution because of the French ingenuity to have a combined BVR/WVR weapon. At super visual ranges the Typhoon’s “edge” may be marginal – while moving in on the merge its ASRAAMs may be rather less capable.

MICA offer at ranges > 50km the same agility than WVR missile like IRIS-T and Sidewinders. The dual firing of IR and EM seekers is making the job of the defending pilot extremely hard since the IR version has a chance not to be picked up or not recognized by the self defence suite for what it is.
That been said, I still believe the winner will be the luckiest pilot…

Senators to Air Force: Prove C-27J cost claims

The C-27 truth vacuum

“The Air Force had established a requirement, validated by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, for 38 C-27 aircraft to provide direct support to Army ground forces,” Levin said. “Again, all were going to the Guard. No one forced the Air Force to join what was a joint program with the Army, and then take sole ownership of it. No one forced the Air Force to testify that they needed to pursue the C-27 because the C-130 could not meet requirements when the committee questioned why the Air Force couldn’t rely on the C-130 fleet and instead had to start the C-27 program. Now the Air Force says that the C-130 is perfectly fine for meeting the direct support mission.”