Of course, you keep telling yourself that.

The source is also cited in the footer and it actually derives from a radar expert on the project.

Errr Bronk’s report is not an official RUSI report, check disclaimer… Btw, what is his problem with Rafale? 16 occurences in an unrelated report???

But the TRMs are coming from the same place. All European fighter AESA TRMs are. The TRM manufacture is entirely separate from who makes the radar. It’s like Nokia, Blackberry and iPhone and who makes the actual antenna or the CPU.

Agree on that one.

Well you can choose to accept it or not but the link clearly states that the initial version will be GaAs, i.e. Radar 1/1+, and the ultimate version, i.e. Radar 2, will be GaN. There is no follow-up beyond Radar 2 planned at this stage unless you can provide evidence to the contrary.

“The ultimate version” yes, it was said (old news, at the same time schedule some people expected RBE2 to get GaN modules for F3-R standard. Well… It wont.

By the time the 1st Indian Rafale touches down in India, the F-35A will have received Block 3F and will be in the $95 mil range (flyaway cost).

This whole 5-10 years for FOC (ie Block4~ish) is BS goalpost moving by sore-looser critics (not you specifically Y-20).

If you want to compare F-35 flyaway costs (for partners) please compare them with Rafale flyaway costs for France. They are documented on french senate website http://www.senat.fr/rap/a13-158-8/a13-158-814.html ; VAT included. Do not compare with export prices (including licenses etc.) including 50% offset, free training etc. Apples and oranges.

Hand down that glass of champaign and give us a link!

Did you notice any ironical word when i linked the news? **** happens. I sincerely only intended to joke.

MiG-31 is limited to M1.5 right now.

Obviously speed depends on config. and there are recommended limits but also emergency limits (real limits), which are certainly over M2.0 and probably near the M2.35 figure given two AFs have stated that and the maths works out to that based on DA2 achieving >M2 with RB199s.

This suggests M2.35 at 36,000ft.

http://www.bundesheer.at/waffen/waf_eurofighter.shtml

2495 km/h = mach 2.35 at 11000m?

Hmmm how did swashplate jump in a discussion about two planes with fixed angled radars?

How else would it get up to operational speed?

True. I stand corrected. The booster works from 1.2 to 5.9 seconds. ramjet starts at mach2.