SUCCESSFUL tests in Sweden of an air-to-air missile being developed jointly by the Brazilian and South African defence industries have brought closer the opportunity for the South African Air Force (SAAF) to start training its fighter-jet pilots with the new equipment.

The R1bn A-Darter missile programme, geared for both countries’ air forces, has completed a series of ground- launched flight tests that are a necessary part of the preparation for the transition to air-launch flight tests.

Denel Dynamics is the prime contractor for the A-Darter, a fifth- generation imaging infrared air-to-air defence missile, but the project is jointly funded by the governments of Brazil and SA. As a result, the programme involves both countries’ engineers, scientists and technicians. There are at least 30 Brazilian experts working on it in SA.

Denise Wilson, Denel Dynamics executive manager for air-to- air programmes, says the project will be ready for full production by 2012 to supply both air forces with operational missiles for their fighter fleets.

However, the company is planning to be ready to at least supply the SAAF with unarmed trainer missiles as early as next year to enable the force to train its pilots.

The SAAF wants the weapon for its Gripen aircraft, while Brazil has several fighter jets including the Northrop’s F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and F-5E/F Tiger II. However, the future use of the A-Darter missile in Brazil is to be determined in the next few weeks when its government announces the winner of a multibillion-dollar contract to supply its air force with new fighter jets.

…

Programme manager Deon Olivier says the project is now at the stage “where uncertainties have decreased considerably” and risks are on the decline because “the seeker” has performed better than expected.

The critical tests were conducted in January and February this year where the performance of the seeker head was tested.

The second tests involved a series of programme shots to evaluate the missile’s aerodynamics and control. The third focused on guided shots where all the components were tested together in flight mode.

The carriage clearance tests of the A-Darter missile on the Gripen aircraft were completed last month, where the full envelope of 12g (a centrifugal force 12 times the acceleration of gravity) instantaneous manoeuvres at 13700m altitude were done, Wilson explains.

She says final ground-launch programmed tests for aerodynamics and flight control evaluations will be conducted in the next few weeks. These will be followed by firing clearance from the Gripen aircraft enabling missile evaluation tests as well as a series of seeker pod tests.

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=106895

So in addition to the Sidewinder and the IRIS-T, Gripen is now also getting the A-Darter! 🙂

Maybe because they learned years ago that any wave-drag advantage attibutable to deltas is only relevant at speeds greater than ~Mach 2–speeds fighters rarely ever see. Deltas made sense on SR-71s and Concordes, not so much on fighters.

Well as a non-expert I still have one question; why did all three European fighters end up with canards if they are so “poor”? Are Saab, Dassault and Eurofighter engineers all stupid?

There must be both pros and cons to non-canards solutions as well?

impressive ads 😮 … 4 years late behind Thales 😀

source?

Edit:

IAF has flown Gripen with operational AESA — when did the Swiss fly Rafle with operational AESA, 4 years ago!?

IAF team flies Gripen Demo in Sweden with operational AESA radar

http://www.8ak.in/8ak_india_defence_news/2010/04/iaf-team-flew-the-gripen-demo-in-sweden-with-operational-aesa-radar.html

Not even the Rafale has anything like DAS, nor does any other 4+ gen fighter. It would also appear that the PAK FA doesn’t have an analogous system either. No 4+ gen fighter is approaching the RCS of the F-35, or level of situational awareness.

RCS; I agree.

Situational awareness; I am not so sure if the difference will be that big if the Eurocanards get their updates in the future. We should not compare F-35 with e.g. Rafale F3 or the latest Typhoon but whatever they will have in 2016. The F-35 will still have an edge also in situational awareness, but it may be smaller than what some people like to think…

Meteor integration on Gripen

April 9:

Meteor on Gripen now has ‘go to war’ capability

Jane’s has reported that Sweden is accelerating plans to fully integrate the MBDA Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) on the Gripen. Rapid availability of the Meteor is seen as a key capability for export customers. Swedish programme sources have told Jane’s that a lot of development work has already been completed with Gripen and that the missile is now functional on the Swedish fighter, with a ‘go to war’ capability available today.

Meteor is a European collaborative programme between the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Germany. The missile is planned to be the primary BVR air-to-air missile for all the modern European fighter aircraft; Gripen, Eurofighter and Rafale.

Saab became involved in the Meteor programme as early as 2003, when Saab Bofors Dynamics was awarded a contract to develop and produce the prototype of the missile. The same year, Saab Aerosystems was awarded a contract for the integration of Meteor on the Gripen. Saab therefore plays a key and prominent role within the Meteor programme.

Gripen is the first and so far only fighter aircraft which has air-launched the Meteor missile. The first Air Launched Demonstration firing took place in 2006.

While the UK is leading the Meteor development programme, all airborne test work to date has used Swedish assets because of a series of delays with other intended test platforms, chiefly the Eurofighter Typhoon. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has now acknowledged a previously unreported Meteor firing that took place in 2009. An MoD statement to Jane’s said the test “was was conducted on 3 June 2009 from a Gripen aircraft against a Mirach subscale target at the Hebrides range. This firing successfully tested the ability of the missile to acquire and track a target at low altitude with a sea clutter background. This was the first trial using the pre-production standard of hardware”.

To date six Meteor firings have been acknowledged since May 2006 – all undertaken by Saab Gripens.

http://www.gripenindia.com/2010/04/meteor-on-gripen-now-has-go-to-war.html

I don’t know how much more official you can get, than the official site for ACC.

Well that statement does not support your previous statement at all, on the contrary…

No, not at all. Simultaneity has nothing to do in that matter.
Swingrole is yet another story.

so what is the definition of Omnirole according to you?

As well as SEAD/DEAD, ISR, anti-cruise missile, etc…

Wouldn’t anti-cruise missile operation be a2a? 🙂