I think they ditched the IR seeker of the OSF because they feel it doesn’t warrant the cost when the Mica IR can do part of the job.

I suspect its a cost reduction measure, and I also suspect they are waiting for some progress in IR technology before the add a new one to the OSF that is really going to improve over the current one at a cheaper price. Pretty much the same way they waited for lower priced modules for the european AESAs.

Nic

That’s where jackonicko will chip in and tell us how a PESA RBE2 was a dead end and a mistake :diablo:

Arcadish unrealistic games are definately not to my liking.

I have fond memories of lengthy dogfights in my Fw 190D9 in forgotten battles with a La 7, or even one with a Spitfire Mk IX which ended in a draw as we ended up losing eachother in the clouds after a few minutes of hard manoeuvers…

Blowing stuff up while looking at the scenery? Yawn :p

Jack Jack Jack

On some of the answers to my post you take them so much out of context that it makes my eyes bleed. When I was speaking of bribes stealing Rafale or Gripen orders it was hypothetical talk with, IIRC grim’s points. I wasn’t refering to any of the “competitions” there has been between both planes. I’m aware there wasn’t a competition in SA, and Austria should have gone to the Gripen or the EF. I think Gripen C/D would have suited them well enough for cheaper. Too bad BAE made the Gripen marketing campaign :diablo:

I’m not going to bother replying to the rest of the stuff because it’s been done over and over.

Nic

He then repeated the suggestion that the SFO enquiry had been improperly quashed.

lol

I then posted a lengthy rejoinder pointing out recent examples of (proven!) French bribery, and explaining exactly why the points made were wrong.

Well as I said who doesn’t do it? The issue is here that the fact that the Tyffie got more exports than the Rafale is often quoted by you and others as a proof that it is better than the Rafale. But it isn’t necessarily so when they use massive bribes to sell it. In that respect it is very relevant to point out that the Typhoon doesn’t necessarily get selected because of some superiority.

I also suggested that all of the French posters here who have a ‘chip on their shoulders’ about the Brits really do need to get over it.

I haven’t seen fonk lately so I wonder who you may be refering to. I think it’s just a way from you to distract from the debate and drag the discussion to another level. No one said anything about the brits other than EADS bribes its customers. And in the case of the Austrian deal it’s EADS germany. Noone denies that the french would do it should the opportunity arise.

Heck, you might even be glad for us when we do win the odd aircraft competition goes our way, just as we’ll be happy for you on the day that Rafale finally gets its export campaign into the air with a first customer.

Not quite when it means bribes deprived the Rafale from its first export order. Or the Gripen from a fair deal. There’s no reason to be happy that the cheater won.

That said I’d be happy if you guys ditched that F35 thingie and spent the buck instead on a really multirole tranche 3 with all the goodies to make it relevant for CAS/penetration missions.

They way it is now the Rafale makes much more sense for a single type customer unless all you need is air policing (or money on your bank account in the bahamas).

Nic

Aspis reminds me of Arthuro… 😀

I think it proves that canards are not that useful if they are not integrated in the design from the start, or if they are used as mere control surfaces.

Nic