The Typhoon, pictured here with Meteor air-to-air missiles, will receive the new CAPTOR-E AESA radar by 2015, says a company release from the Paris air show (pasted below)
Eurofighter and Euroradar confirm 2015 entry into service target date for the Typhoon new generation E-Scan radar
After one year of industry funding, the Eurofighter and Euroradar consortia have received renewed strong support from the Partner Nations and have agreed to continue the full scale development programme of the next generation E-Scan radar, confirming the 2015 entry into service date.
Supported by the Eurofighter partner nations: the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain, Eurofighter GmbH and Euroradar began full scale development of the new CAPTOR-E radar in July 2010.
The new radar will have AESA capability that far exceeds any other radar available today and in the foreseeable future and will be developed to satisfy the requirements of the Partner Nations and customers across the globe.
The new radar will retain the key features of the existing market leading Captor-M radar in order to exploit the maturity of the current system, using latest generation technology to provide further advanced performance. The Typhoon’s AESA radar will offer a variety of benefits over M-Scan, including increased detection and tracking ranges, advanced air-to-surface capability and enhanced electronic protection measures.
The new AESA array, larger than the ones available to our competitors thanks to the Typhoon’s voluminous radome, will be fitted on a repositioner that will provide a wider field of regard when compared to those installed or scheduled for introduction on other fighters.
The new radar will offer customers the freedom to retrofit their existing Typhoons when required. The radar will have significant growth potential and both existing and new customers will be able to participate in tailoring the radar to meet their individual operational requirements.
The new AESA Radar is part of the platform and systems enhancement ongoing with Eurofighter to ensure Typhoon leads the way as the world’s best new generation multi-role combat aircraft.'
Rafales will have the AESA additive from 2013 onwards.
ReplyDeleteGood news i wish that around 150 Typoons are chosen and the mirage upgrade is cancelled and about 100 Rafale purchased
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of that! I have been in favour of ET over others. I understand that IAF too wants ET, so I hope they get what they want.
ReplyDeleteWhat else do you expect Eurofighter to say, especially a huge Indian mistake of shortlisting them is pending? What would India do if Eurofighter, which first flew in 1994, does not come up with a credible radar in next 5 years? On the other hand, F35-Joint Strike Fighter, the world's only fifth generation fighter, flew for the first time in 2006 and still going through final testing has AN/APG 81 AESA Radar, which is in production and is more advanced than the AESA radar of F22 Raptor. In fact, in a test an F35 radar/jamming equipment successfully jammed the radar of F22. According to yesterday's news reports, US congress is pushing US government to offer F35 on an expedited schedule to still get in the MMRCA contract. Remember, thee countries who built Eurofighter have all placed orders for the F35. If their plane was that cutting edge, how come they are placing orders for F35. It has taken one trillion dollars to develop the F35. India should not let this chance of buying F35 to have a true fifth generation stealth fighter, which is projected to stay with the Nato forces beyond 2045. Would India seize the moment and make a strategic decision to induct the futuristic stealth fighter? The Mirage 2000 upgrade should be given to Israel, which has agreed to do it for half the price quoted by the French. France could be given additional orders for the submarines. Let Honeywell supply the new engines for the Jaguars.
ReplyDeletewhat happened to the CAESAR? captor AESA Radar? BAe doesn't want to spare?
ReplyDeleteThe contest between Rafale and EFT must be interesting. Now the price tags and TOT may be the deciding factors.
ReplyDeleteAh ah, my AESA is bigger than yours...
ReplyDeleteStatements like "The new radar will have AESA capability that far exceeds any other radar available today and in the foreseeable future " seem very arrogant/Cocky, when we know US is the leader and Radars on F-22 and F-35 will be far ahead to this one.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean that the first lot of aircraft should India select EFT won't be with AESA?
ReplyDeleteAll said and done, as far as I am concerned, we did right by saying BIG NO to US of A. Let them offer F-35 or F-40, Americans need to be kept as far away as we possibly can when it comes to combat Aircrafts.
ReplyDelete@Deepak, The F35 is an extra 5 billion dollars. It does not have IOC yet and at the current estimate of 130 million + per plane imagine what the upgrade cost will be in 10-12 years[Hint use Sukhoi as a benchmark].
ReplyDeleteIt also has a long waiting list of customers, India would join at the back of the line. No source codes, intrusive agreements, no related industrial package.
To counter Ashley tellis's own argument, we would literally be buying a plane here as we would not be making any part of it. Some strategic/Industrial relationship huh! Radars are also getting advanced enough to defeat stealth, the F-35's USP.
I am with you on the Mirage upgrade and the Jaguar engines.
Deepak Dutta and Saurav Jha,
ReplyDeleteWill the IAF get the F-35 by 2014?? All of the six MMRCA contenders are ready for induction by that date; we would need to wait almost a decade to come close to getting our 1st F-35.
About why the 3 of the Eurofighter nations have chosen the F-35; they are choosing it for the same reason the USAF chose the F-16 after having the F-15; the F-35 was meant to be an advanced and affordable multirole fighter while the Eurofighter was to be an air superiority platform. The F-35 has now become a bloated beast which is several years behind schedule and obscenely expensive.
Having a big fat radar is not decisive if you are flying in a networked environment with AEW and datalinks at work. And supersonic performance does count. Which is why the F-22 and the PAK-FA despite their stealth place a premium on the same, unlike the F-35.
Here we go!
ReplyDeletewell that was quite expected but a welcome announcement, we are low on fleet numbers and need the available fighters to be inducted ASAP. then only we can think about a secure air cover over India and a better air superiority. IAF should now plan on air supremacy with FGFA and AMCA next.
but the need right now is to have the MOD pick up and speed the deal within this year, are you hearing MOD? do it soon, because if you cannot you will be responsible for any eventuality, don't load up your bad karma. DO YOUR JOB QUICKLY! we will all praise you for that!
Doesn't the timing of release of this information seem too much of a coincidence, considering that Typhoon has been shortlisted for the MMRCA? Also, I don't think that either the USA or any of the European nations pose a credible threat to India to go in for cutting edge aircraft. We can afford to compromise a little on our aircraft and channel the funds to enable the soldiers on the ground to fight on any available front/theatre without any logistical issues. No matter how advanced our fighters or frigates are its the soldier on the ground who actually wins a battle.
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