Dassault will do what they normally do like with Tornado and Typhoon. Join the programme, demand their high percentage of share, take what they need and ****** off and manufacture their own aircraft.

There wasn’t much to take apparently :p

Indeed, that is true. But I’d be sure it’s safe to say we’re far more likely to see Storm Shadow and CFTs on Typhoon than we would see CFTs on frontline operational Rafales. Typhoon needs them more than Rafale does.

I think your initial point was not CFT on Rafale vs CFT on typhoon but
outer wing mica station on Rafale vs CFT on typhoon.

Is a relative judgement between two things, not a property of the aircraft itself. Rafale is good A2A platform and Typhoon could be good A2G platform with full integration, but nevertheless in considering both platforms together we can say that Rafale leans A2G and Typhoon A2A.

It’s not because Typhoon actualy leans A2A that you can say that Rafale leans A2G.
I would rather describe Rafale as a well balanced aircraft for all A2G and A2A missions 😉

rcs 0.1sqm ?. it is 1980s design hardly anything new.
Rafale problem is that any thing you attached to it. It protudes out. It has poor drag. considering slow top speed.

You know better than that.
Rafale top speed is mainly due to its fix inlets.

:rolleyes:

It will never cease to amaze me how far people will go to convince themselves of something they want to believe.

You must be amazed by yourself then.
You can’t praise radar range on one hand and dismiss passive EM detection and RCS management on the other hand. They are all part of the BVR equation. Assuming that plane A will have the advandage over plane B without doing the maths with consistent data is just hot air.

I have got a few question to Dassault Rafale specialists on our forum:
1.Is IR channel of the OFS still operational on Rafale?

That’s a very good question
Apparently it was not used in Mali (probably due to the lack of air threat)

2. How much SAGEM OFS IR was delivered to AdA and Aeronavale, and at what time ( probably with F2 standard ?)

At least 48 between 2006 and 2008 (i have no info about spare OSF ordered)
They were delivered with the 48 Rafale F2 but are of course compatible with F3 Rafale (the only version currently in service)

3.Is Rafale open architecture able to remove IR OFS channel from one fighter to another?

yes. it is a p&p system

4.Any infos about pilots impression of current IR channel ?

I’ve heard that the system was quite senitive to in flight failure in the early days.
Eventually , the IR channel is supposed to be more or less transparent for the pilot : IR data are fused with spectra and RBE-2 data to generate reliable tracks… automaticly. Not much pilot input in the process.
By the way it’s an A2A system, and it’s worth noting that Rafale squadrons have been more busy doing Air 2 Ground stuff from 2007 to 2013 (Afghanistan, Libya, Mali).
That’s also probably the reason why the IR channel upgrade is not in the priority list for the French Air Force and Navy.

My personal opinion is that the IR channel has been mis managed since the bigining. It was a mistake to order it from Sagem when all the other sensors of the Rafale were engineered and develloped by Thales. The result is that the final integration of the IR channel has been more difficult and probably not as good as it could has been.

5.Any future plan for OFS-NG with new IR channel (What about Rafale for India)

AFAIK, an IR channel and a HMD is mandatory for India, draw your conclusions…

6.How much is the scan zone of wingtip MICA IR compared to OFS IR?
( I know that IRST has much better range – but how about scan zone?)

I don’t know. But the IR channel horizontal FOV was wider than the RBE-2 one (which is 120°)

7.What is the typical engagement range of MICA from Rafale ( I didn’t hear any infos about that) – for comparsion:
-Typhoon launch AIM-120C-5 from high alt, high speed from around 20-30 miles [depending the target], which is around 10% better range than AIM-120B.
sources: Air International; Typhoon; A year on the road.
-according to pilots AMRAAM (AIM-120C-5 ?) has better range than MBDA MICA. But how much more range, and compared to which AMRAAM version (B/C-5/C-7 ?)

AFAIK it’s more than the B and less than the C7 😀

8. In le bourget I remember Rafale M with 8AAM combo:
4MICA + 4METEOR :

Now Rafale can carry max 6AAM. What about future? Any infos about additional pylons ?

8 AA stations are available so far. But outerwing stations are not operational yet (no requirement from the French Forces). Some tests have propably been performed for UAE requirements.

9. How much Meteor can Rafale carry 2 or 4 ?

The current release trials concern the rear fuselage stations.
However Flight tests have been also done on mid wing stations (including carrier take off / landing tests).
So my answer is that the Rafale will have 4 stations cleared for the meteor meteor.

10. Is RBE-2 AESA heavier than PESA, and has it got the same diameter ?

No idea. It’s probably about the same

11. MBDA MICA is operational from 1996 up to now( 17 years). Has it got any productional batches (tranches, blocks ?) like AMRAAM?

yes but there is no public info available that I know of.
My understanding is that it concerns more software upgrades (trajectory laws , ECCM algorithm)

Given their capabilities (especially cruise missile), they might be a real game changer in their local region.

I doubt the UAE would be allowed to sell their cruise missiles with the Mirage jets.*
Not mentioning the fact that they probably want to keep them

4 on each wings (2 wet)
6 on the fuselage (2 rear, 2 front, 2 center)