Last year i heared an audition of UK ambassador in France. The guy is the former head of procurement in UK. He clearly stated that it was due to costs.

UAV are not cheap. they not carry much and cannot pull high gs.

Any clue about that?

I was joking BiT, relax! (hence the smiley).

Thanks for that information. The prototype NGJ is going to be in the air in a couple of months

Eeerr afaik GaN hammers are flying atm on B301 testbed Rafale, but nvm. some weeks/months aren’t that important.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4lxz33ih8hzea57/20140618_171806.jpg

In the original RFI, before they decided to start an “open” competition, the armament to be inner stored was mandatory…

Gazelle HOT?

A quick sum up, google translate of what is done at ONERA bit old, 2006

Research on plasmas, first conducted to understand the lightning strike aircraft, now affecting areas as diverse as aerospace, combustion or stealth. The potential applications are enormous difficulties too.
number 26
Wired discharge initiated by pseudospark in hypersonic souflerie R5ch
Wired discharge initiated by pseudospark in hypersonic souflerie R5ch

* Research on plasmas, first conducted to understand the lightning strike aircraft, now affecting areas as diverse as aerospace, combustion or stealth. The potential applications are enormous difficulties too.
Hypersonic wind tunnel F4 arc. Measuring flow velocity by training a wired discharge
Hypersonic wind tunnel F4 arc. Measuring flow velocity by training a wired discharge For the general public, the word “plasma” refers to the high-end TVs. Or, for the most passionate of science, nuclear fusion in the sun or in future reactors. But researchers at Onera, plasmas can be the source of tremendous progress in many areas. Provided control this fourth state of matter (in addition to solid, liquid and gaseous phases). Plasmas can be created at very high temperatures (eg stars), using an electric arc or electric discharge in a gas – this is called cold plasma. Depending on the type of plasma, all or a fraction of the atoms are stripped of all or part of their electrons. Positive ions and electrons are moved independently of each other, forming a highly conductive fluid to excessively complex and varied properties.
*
lightning

Work on the lightning strike aircraft began ONERA in the eighties, for reasons of safety of aircraft in flight. “We are primarily interested in plasmas to understand lightning, and prevent the consequences of lightning strike aircraft”, said Serge Larigaldie, specializing in plasma physics at Onera. Lightning is indeed a rare natural phenomena on Earth where the material is in the form of plasma. Researchers at Onera therefore built a generator capable of creating electrical shock phenomena similar to lightning, in two dimensions. They obtained lightning “laboratory” of a meter long, perfectly straight, they were able to analyze precisely. Comparing the lightning thus obtained based on theoretical plasma physics models, they were able to understand how lightning spread in the atmosphere. Then compare these observations to current measurements performed in instrumented aircraft undergoing lightning.
A laboratory model of the lightning storm, obtained through the technique known sparks slippery
A laboratory model of the lightning storm, obtained through the technique known sparks slippery
*
Lightning is not the only source of dangerous plasmas for aircraft. When a device through a cloud of frost, ice or snow, his paintings are electrically charged by friction with these particles. Accumulations load sometimes enormous, create electric sparks which landfills can cause considerable damage. Some unsolved accidents could be due to this phenomenon. “To better understand these discharges, we made a tablet that is electrically charged with micro-ice air jet,” recalls Serge Larigaldie.
These icicles are sent on a small area of a ground plane, and embedded radio-electrical receivers can detect hotspots. “We have resolved the Falcon 10 Dassault where static electricity on the hull (hull fiberglass covering an antenna) induced sparks on the body of the HF antenna that was designed to protect. This totally disrupted navigation systems of the aircraft during the crossing of clouds. “It is enough to cover the antenna cowling with a slightly conductive to discharge static charges preserving its transparency to electromagnetic radiation paint. Sparks on the wall of an aircraft subjected to an accumulation of electric charges of the same sign
Sparks on the wall of an aircraft subjected to an accumulation of electric charges of the same sign

Aerospace
Serge Larigaldie but does not want to confine his research to only those security issues. “I try to help incorporate the physics of plasmas in aerodynamics, radar, burning, and even in the future ion propulsion rockets,” he explains. Plasmas could for example reduce the wave drag in supersonic flight. Indeed, plasma, heating the air, the speed of sound changes and therefore changes its aerodynamic properties.
Researchers at Onera disposed in front of the plane a plasma generator, consisting of a small point to which they apply a high voltage. Wind tunnel tests at Mach 3 and have successfully stabilized an unsteady shock wave, while spending a low energy, about 10 milliwatts. “A small electric shock on a tip generates a plasma, which affects shock and could significantly reduce wave drag, ensures Serge Larigaldie. But it is very difficult to understand exactly why this result. “These are not the most energetic discharges that have the greatest influence on the shock. Shock continuously supported on a shock wave Mach 3
Electric discharge continuously supported on a shockwave
Mach 3

combustion

Another application of plasmas combustion. When the flow is too strong, the flame “wins” and turns off. The idea is to create a micro-plasma in the burner, by applying a high voltage on a point surrounded by a ring covered with insulation (to prevent arcing). At each discharge, a plasma jet is formed and attached flame. “With a small discharge, a burning flame normally 6 inches burner remains attached,” says the researcher. Again, this complex effect is not fully understood. It appears that the effect induced by tends to return to the moment the flame output of the burner. Then when the flame meets the plasma, it hangs. “The impulse plasma lasts only 30 nanoseconds (30 billionths of a second), says Serge Larigaldie. Secondly, there is a trail of post-discharge. It is believed to play it with the voltage on the tip to amplify the phenomenon of attachment of the flame. “
Attaching a methane flame by a discharge “dielectric barrier” on the electrodes above the burner
Attaching a methane flame by a discharge
“Dielectric barrier” on the electrodes at the burner
stealth

Stealth could also benefit from progress on plasmas. The information on these research remains confidential summary. The air intakes create a major problem for radar stealth combat aircraft: they echo with an opposing radar in the direction of the latter, like reflectors bikes that so effectively reflect the rays of headlights. “We try to put in the air plasma dense enough to absorb the input waves, and will not be returned,” explains Serge Larigaldie. Researchers have discovered Onera electric shock of a type little known, low power
Continuous arc low power (~ 150 W) airflow at low speed (~ 3 m / s)
Continuous arc low power (~ 150 W) airflow at low speed (~ 3 m / s) (200 watts), which substantially absorbs microwaves.
Unfortunately, researchers Onera have recently realized that it could not bear the plasma flow, and was “blown” for relatively low speeds. They are now trying to reduce this effect.

Space Exploration
Drag ionized in the ion thruster output SPT50
*
Finally, more confidential research involves ion thrusters for satellites. The propulsion is to expel ionic charged particles that have been accelerated previously using an electromagnetic field. Just eject little material to obtain a high thrust, and it is thus possible to achieve ejection phenomenal speeds, speed near the lumière.Les Onera research is to use the plasma itself even for accelerating the ions. With as main goal, increasing the performance of these thrusters. “If it works, it opens the door to interplanetary exploration with manned spacecraft,” enthuses the researcher.
Complex and promising

The multidisciplinary aspect of Onera is a definite advantage for all this research. Indeed, the agency has specialized teams in all these areas: combustion, aerospace, stealth, ion propulsion, and of course plasmas. But if the research is very promising, they are also extremely complex. “Early concepts that led to plasma televisions have forty years, says Serge Larigaldie and consumer applications appeared only recently, despite enormous research efforts. Similarly, applications of current research will take time, but they are likely to have very serious consequences. “
Surface discharge on a glass (load voltage 180,000 volt)
http://www.onera.fr/fr/zoom-in-the-lab/plasma-tout-faire

also a plasma lens allowing to deflect X band radar waves

http://www.onera.fr/fr/actualites/image-du-mois/lentille-plasma

Assited combustion
http://www.onera.fr/en/actualites/zoom-in-the-lab/assisting-combustion-plasma

There are several other teams working on plasma in different institutes (CNRS, Universities)…