A task force will generally be using AEW of some kind, which will spot a bomber or MiG-31 a long way off. And an F-35 with a Meteor won’t need to get very close to kill them. You also have the issue that the Kh-32 and Kh-47 are not unkillable and likely need some kind of OTH targeting system in place for a 1000km strike, which will likely involve satellites. These can also be shot down and/or jammed, as can the missile’s terminal homing radar.

The cockpit glass is slanted back massively. If the IRST were slanted back like that I doubt anyone would comment but it’s basically a baseball on the front of an aircraft claiming to have the RCS of a tennis ball.

[USER=”41059″]halloweene[/USER]

How do you know it is not an effective design? From what I have been told, a CSG can move freakin’ fast, actually much more than publicised… for a ship. That is, essentially motionless compared to a 10 or 15 M ballistic missile. Nevertheless, what is your point, that the RV will not find its target or something? How much distance can a CSG cover in 15 minutes? How do you hide a 300 m vessel and escort in the middle of the sea??

It would need a mid-course update from targeting satellites. They can be jammed or shot down.

Yes and no, quotations will be done on existing versions, but you cannot help examiners to think about future.

Each party will promise the world for the future though. What’s now is known.

That is probably why there will be *Rafale 4.1 (2023) and 4.2 (2025) (first real fork in Rafale program), with funcions available as soon as 2022. Spectra antennas are already AESA. but in fact, they realized that tile architecture of modules was cheaper and already greatly improved signal treatment (co location).GaN modules were expected on F3R standard but will be available finally on Spectra 04T (on fourth tranche Rafale, F4.1). At least that is what i could deduceafter extensive talks with Thales people (not very talkative).

I would have thought they’d be extremely talkative about such progress. Maybe there silence indicates worries. Nevertheless F4.X is irrelevant to this competition.