I don’t really see any problem displaying Mica-IR’s seeker image on MFD’s (it’s just another CCD basically). The sensor integration should be just as able to integrate the Mica imagery to the Tracking “Picture” – it’s perhaps just not as sharp a picture as using a “real” IRST. (???)

Nobody on this thread (that I’ve noticed) has claimed the Micas offer a greater or equal image to the IRST, just that it’s GOOD ENOUGH. (I think somebody confused a mis-spelled “great” (i.e. “good) for “greatER”, when that wasn’t arthuro’s intent AFAIK)

As mentioned by others, I think it’s alot a manner of cost-optimization and the fact that France doesn’t really seem to forsee any “heavy” air combat scenarios in the next decade. I’d expect the focus to shift back in the other direction eventually, but the state-of-the-art will have progressed by then, so producing un-needed capacity that will be upgraded anyways just doesn’t appear to be cost-effective for France.

An interesting question would be to any pilots who might have been flying with development HMS on Rafale – Even without any specific info of the systems themselves, it would be interesting just to give a better idea of the current degree of integration/development that HMS is at with on Rafale (which is important for certain export customers, like Greece).

So you do you really have wet dreams about Hague arbitration, Aspis? 😉

I seriously doubt a new ‘indigenous’ (Indian with SNECMA help) engine would be developed for Rafale.
I could see SNECMA contracting out certain M88 parts to India, perhaps linked to a work-share agreement, but integrating a completely new engine NOT offering performance/maintenance advantages, AND requiring testing of entire flight envelope with associated FCS software, doesn’t seem at all realistic.

India integrating it’s own weaponry would certainly increase the Rafale’s “breadth” in that area for other customers. For that matter, Brazil is also clearly wanting to integrate it’s own BVRAAAM (co-developing with Denel) and IR-AAM, which would then be available/ pre-integrated for other Rafale customers.

Actually, since having an Anti-Radiation missile was apparently a serious issue for India re: MMRCA, I wonder what solution Dassault will offer… Is there any substantial issue that would impede integrating the Kh-31, which India already operates? Doing that integration work WITH India would give India more confidence in doing it’s own integration in the future, independent of supplier source.

I believe a “Rafale Discrete” was planned and developed to some degree, AdA just didn’t want to spring for it in actual production… But I think more extensive RAM was a big part of it.

Is “Weapons Coffin” an allusion to perhaps a more recessed weapons carriage ala Eurofighter, or something more like Boeing’s Stealth Eagle CFT + Internal Weapon carriage?

Furthermore, another possible customer is Brasil, if they are willing to modify the Sao Paolo with a ski-jump, they might actually buy up to 12 🙂

Right, because inducting a hypothetical navalized Eurofighter that was already dropped from their FX-2 tender, instead of using the 2 of 3 remaining FX-2 contenders (Rafale, F-18) who are navalized from their very inception just makes so much sense.
*IF* (in hypothetical science fiction universe) the UK and Spain were to shift to CTOL carriers, adopting Rafale (or F-18/E-F) clearly would make much more sense than starting a navalization program for Typhoon… The only thing going for naval Typhoon would be nationalism/’jobs program’ of the Eurofighter countries… WHICH DOESN’T APPLY TO EXPORT COUNTRIES!!!

Well, if integrating head-position-tracking with eye-tracking (i.e. if neck is cranked + eye at periphery => scroll viewpoint accordingly, possibly with button/voice command to activate functionality) isn’t enough to cue the system to when you’re trying to look ‘behind’, I’m sure there’s some 1980’s technology like buttons or thumb-sticks to manually scroll the virtual field of view of the HMD…

If such a capability could not be achieved, I fail to see the purpose of using such a HMD in the first place (vs. more traditional HMS with most info still on fixed display panels)

As mentioned, Spain & Italy’s carriers are not large enough for CTOL jets: They REQUIRE STOVL like Harrier/F-35.
The UK’s future carriers CAN theoretically accomodate Naval CTOL (they’re the same basic platform as France’s next carrier)
Thus, the UK is actually the ONLY Eurofighter country who doesn’t actually NEED STOVL jets for their Naval Air.

IF a real customer for Naval Typhoon existed, it would NOT be Spain unless they are secretly planning on building a full size carrier.

Hm. Thanks for the translation, Aspis.

I don’t really know if a ‘first strike’ strategy is one Greece would realistically adopt, though if war did escalate, SEAD as prelude to bombing closest Turkish fighter bases would make sense, so it’s basically a semantic distinction.

Keeping costs relatively low now to ‘save’ for the holy-of-holies (F35) seems to require just a bit too much “religious belief” on the part of Greece… And in any case, if that cost approach is to be taken (removing EF/ possibly Rafale), it seems to me that Gripen is close enough to F16 costs, yet clearly with a better development path ahead of it… It just seems like it will have more ‘staying power’ than more F16s would (and with NG upgrades + IRIS-T + MICA + Meteor + Data Links, will have similar capabilities as Rafale/EF vs. F16)