Could France have sold the ANF to China and could YJ-12 be its chinese designation ?????

The ANF has been canceled in favor of the exocet block 3

If the ASMP specs are an indicaton, then its not very impressive when compared to the big russian supersonic missiles.

ASMP means “Air Sol Moyenne Portée” = “Air Ground Medium Range”
So it is a medium range missile that has nothing to do with russian long range monsters 😉

But the missile can be carried by a very small vector, ie the mirage 2000.

that’s good news 🙂

Hawk 200

or how to transform the pretiest jet trainer into an ugly light attack aircraft 😡

as it stands today, without a good export order (if the saudis dont pay up) will they have enough funds to create the definitive model of the Rafale
(a) quickly by 2008
(b) in large quantity (say 100-150)
(c) at a unit cost of around $50 mil.
(d) with aesa and meteor

(d) AESA and meteor will not be integrated on serial production rafale before 2010-2012

Well, all the rafale built and delivered after 2002 are at the F2 standard ie with their main AG capabilities but antiship and nuke missiles which are planed for the F3 standard (first deliveries in 2007).

Nevertheless, the rafale F2 are still in opval by now and they should enter in operational service in july 2006.

But this thread is about the Eurofighter so let’s go back to the topic 🙂

The Typhoon and Rafale are the opposite. Air superiority aircraft, which are trying to become strike aircraft. They still aren’t there yet. They are still waiting from tranche 3 or whatever their respective a2g upgrades are called.

true for the typhoon but not for the rafale which was designed as a multirole aircraft since the beginning of the project in order to replace the jaguar (AG), the mirage F1 (AA and AG), the F8 (AA) and the mirage 2000N (nuclear strike)

BTW, The last french jaguars have just retired and are being replaced by Rafale F2 since december 2004.

The F-16 is the same. A strike aircraft first and a fighter second.

The F-16 started is operational life as a close range fighter.

Right.

Don’t blame me for the ineptitude of the Eurocopter negotiators. If they couldn’t live with the terms they didn’t have to bid and they sure as hell didn’t have to deal with LockMart or whomever the hell it is that’s building the 101.

you mean Agusta Weastland I think. Eurocopter as nothing to do with the US101.

For what it’s worth, the difference in seat inclination between both aircraft is marginal, IIRC, so that’s probably not the main advantage of a sidestick.

AFAIK, It is 29° for the rafale and 18° for the Eurofighter (Correct me if I’m wrong). I wouldn’t call this difference “marginal”