I’m not a technical matter expert but this direct equation N° of modules/emission power and range seems me quite strange.
Let’s make an example, Pak-Fa has +/- 1500 modules on front section, 400 on lateral ones.
According to this manner of calculation it would have a relatively smaller range in the frontal compared to the F-35 but just a third of this in the lateral.
Now, it happen that the scan range of a ESA radar is about +/- 60°, would it means that in a angle of almost 30° degrees (but probably superior, see forward ) in both sides the PAK-FA would have a way greater power all of a sudden cause the sum of 1500 +404? And in a small space portion under the plane, given that the lateral ones are obliquely mounted and facing downward maybe also 1500+404+404?
Now, both on the Eurofighter than on the Gripen E they are even trying to have a canting/steering AESA plate, something that surely would end up eating a lot of T/R modules compared to a fixed mount.
So, are suddenly all the major defence producers outside America suddenly gone nuts together or things are just a little more complex that it seems?
The side arrays begin coverage at the limits of the main array’s coverage. Outside the coverage of the main array, it will just be 404. You cover a wider area simultaneously but the range and accuracy in the side array coverage area will be limited. With a swash plate array, you only cover 120deg simultaneously, but when you steer the array to the side you maintain full power and accuracy in that area, which could be useful after firing a Meteor at someone and then taking evasive action to maintain lock. So the disadvantage is lack of continuous simultaneous coverage of larger area, but the advantage is longer range, more accurate coverage in that area when you use it and less T/R modules, less power consumption and less cooling, which may or may not result in a weight reduction overall (swash plate weight vs weight of more modules, extra power generation and cooling). Of course the other disadvantage of having small side arrays is that whilst they may be useless for detecting anything at a given range, they may still be detectable because of 1/R^2 vs 1/R^4 law.
On number of modules vs power and gain. The assumption is that the individual elements will have roughly identical element power and gain across different radars. So yes, it’s based on an assumption.
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