That’s the point.

Nope, I think the point is that you never had a point. A primary weakness of the Rafale is the small fixed radar. Now yes, it’s AESA and that has an advantage over mech scanning and PESA, but when you apply a similar level of technology to a larger swash-plate mounted radar it’s automatically better, no two ways about it.

Again that nose (radar) size story ?…
Some are really obsessed with size.

Because it’s a fundamental parameter in the radar range equation – Gain – and also determines resolution. It’s not an obsession, it’s simply a fact.

Another equation, which will not be derived here, describes the antenna gain G in terms of the wavelength λ.

G = 4 · π· A · Ka/λ^2

Solving for A, antenna area, and replacing A into equation 9; after simplification it yields:

Solving for range R, we obtain the classic radar equation:

In the Swiss leaks they praised the excellent performance of the Rafale’s (small) PESA — The RBE2 has a significantly longer range than the Rafale PESA, there are some numbers out there I am sure Halloweene or other French members can provide :).

Surprisingly they did not praise the Typhoons radar which by many has been considered to be one of the best (if not the best) non-AESA fighter radar… Perhaps there is a difference between “commonly held beliefs” and realities sometimes?

(having said that — yes the Rafale radar is not huge, that is certainly a fact).

Not for engagement range they didn’t and it’s the engagement range that determines when you can fire. Even the old Typhoon mech scan beat it significantly on engagement range.:cool:

If I had to choose?

Rafale

It’s so much easier on the eye

Well that’s okay then. You can look great whilst dying.

The AA probably has Advanced LPI modes, and must be quite resistant to jamming. Even if the rafale is detected at some point, if the meteors are already more than half way towards the targets, it is a big advantage. The meteors will hit before the enemies missiles are close enough to the rafale to have a high pk. If they don’t hit, the enemy planes will probably have done an evasive maneuvers, so they are likely to lose their tracks on the rafale. As soon as the meteors seekers activate the rafale can make an evasive maneuver to escape.

The Rafale’s radar is extremely small and coul easily be out-ranged by even a good PESA. It is also fixed and has a one way data link to Meteors meaning that the Rafale can’t turn before the missile hits, or misses.

No one really expects a Su-35 to dogfight a Typhoon or F-15 by doing circus tricks. It will turn with them, and outturn them in energy maneuverability.

OMG, it’s assumptions, assumptions, assumptions time. The Typhoon was made with full knowledge of the Su-27 and was designed specifically to beat it. It has a massively lower wing loading and higher TWR. Aside from that, it doesn’t even need to out turn the Su-27 to beat it. The Typhoon has to artificially handicap itself for the Su-27 to even have a chance in WVR.

Energy maneuverability theory refers to aircraft performance in term of specific excess power ( mostly deal with sustain and instantaneous turn rate )
Super maneuverability often refers to post stall maneuver

I guess it means different things to different people but I know with the F-22 and EF there was significant focus on supersonic turn performance.

There is also another EF thread.

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?134607-Eurofighter-Typhoon-discussion-and-news-2015/page53