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Word.

The Pak-FA comes pretty close though.

Nic

Not true, what the Swiss evaluated were an RBE-2 PESA and a prototype of the RBE-2 AESA, and thats whats described in the Swiss documents. The two radars (the RBE-2 PESA and the AESA) are mentioned one single time each, the PESA in the 2008 Executive Sumary, and the AESA in the 2009 Executive Sumary. The Rafale was flown severall more sorties than the competition specificaly to test the AESA set, the results went right into the MET chart.

Yes it is true. In the “strong points of the Rafale” that Scorpion quoted, the PESA is named clearly. I know that the AESA has been tested, but the whole first part of the report was done with the PESA, not the AESA.

Nic

Captor is also well adapted for A/G missions.
And, as I said, AESA is a best technology, and the trend to follow. But that doesn’t mean that an AESA is automatically superior to any other “mech” and neither that a fighter carrying AESA is automatically better than other without one. As the USNavy demonstrated with its own planes.

You are right generally speaking, but in this case the RBE2 AESA is clearly much better than the Captor insofar as the RBE2 PESA was already superior to the Captor. The only official document comparing both radars is the swiss evaluation report, which clearly & undoubtedly claims that the swiss judged the RBE2 PESA superior to the Captor. The huge capability leap from RBE2 PESA to RBE2 AESA can only increase that superiority by an order of magnitude.

All the talk about Captor being superior to the RBE2 in some parameters originated from one source: Eurofighter GMBH/Jon Lake. Based as usual on the off hand accounts of some unnamed officials, pilots etc. But the only time you get official documents, surprisingly you get another story.

Two things: first, Swiss evaluation is vastly outdated, as Scorpion explained. Second, there have been a lot of evaluations and a lot of exercises, not only the Swiss one.

Yet it is the only evaluation where official documents were released to the public. All the reports about other competitions are hearsay, most often from unnamed sources. Hard to tell what is true & what is false.

You have posted a video of French test pilot… I could quote a lot of statements about longer range of Captor over RBE2, but why? Is widely accepted. There will be always exceptions. French sources says that RBE2 AESA increase range by 50%… but you have to realize that previous RBE2 PESA had short range. So, 50% more of a poor range it’s not much more in comparison with other radars that already had much bigger range than RBE2 PESA.

While it was anounced that the AESA would increase range by 50%, the more recent annoucements made by french officials was that the range was nearly doubled.

http://www.air-cosmos.com/defense/rafale-l-aesa-en-septembre-a-mont-de-marsan.html

“avec une port�e doubl�e en air-air par rapport au PESA”
“With a doubled air to air range compared to the PESA.”

How do you explain that, again according to French sources, Rafale needed the AESA’s increase of range to benefit from Meteor range advantages? Because it wasn’t the case with the M-Captor.

This is why the Eurofighter needs an AESA. Against a low rcs (not even stealth) target with a good ECM suite, I’m not too sure a mechanical array will allow to shoot the meteor at its maximum range. Or even in the farther part of it’s NEZ.

Nic

So…

How does the RDY-2 compares to the captor? 😉

Nic

Israeli strike in Syria and this crash are timely quite close together. Maybe F-16 was shot down by Sirian air defense and the lost later shown as crash in exercise over the sea (attack also happened from the sea side).

That or the grounding of the fleet is a trick to try get the syrians lower their guard before israel strikes for good.

Nic

It depends which country quatar wants to extract favors from during that period. If they want something from the french gvt they are going to say they prefer Rafale. If they want to extract something from the brits they’ll say Eurofighter is da bomb.

And they probably won’t sign since they have brand new shiny F16s & Mirage 2000s.

Then it starts all over.

Nic

If only the ATF comp was judged on looks alone, the YF-23 would’ve won hands down! What a stunning looking jet it is compared to the awful YF/F-22…

-Dazza

Even if it wasn’t based on looks, I feel it should have won. But you’re right it is leagues above the F22 in looks, and I’m not even comparing it to the ugly YF22.

Nic