Source:-MMRCA 2.0 :Dassault Rafale F4 for IAF?
The Dassault Rafale is a French Twin-Engine,Canard Delta wing,Mulitrole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation for wide range of short and long-range missions, including ground and sea attacks, reconnaissance, high-accuracy strikes and nuclear strike deterrence.
Dassault Aviation announced on 22 March last year that French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has authorised development of the new RAFALE F4 standard.
Dassault underlying philosophy of the RAFALE programme is continuous development through a succession of standards to adapt the aircraft to changing operational and technical needs. A first version of the new F4 standard could be in evidence as early as 2023, the company stated, following the F3-R standard, currently scheduled for qualification in 2018 and that India will be getting.
IAF Rafale
India’s Rafale will deploy the in-development BrahMos NG missile in either a twin or single weapon load-out when the system is ready from 2021. The MBDA Scalp and BrahMos will provide planners with unique subsonic/supersonic stand-off attack options available to no other air force in the world. The Rafale deal also includes assurances for coding extensions to other in-development Indian weapon systems, including the Astra BVRAAM.
The Indian Rafale will sport the fully internal SPECTRA electronic warfare system, billed as the ‘cornerstone of the Rafale’s outstanding survivability against the latest airborne and ground threats’.
Rafale also makes extensive use of radar-absorbent material (RAM) in the form of paints and other materials. RAM forms a saw-toothed pattern on the wing and canard trailing edges, for instance. The aircraft is designed to, so that its untreated radar signature is concentrated in a few strong “spikes,” which are then suppressed by the selective use of RAM.
The Rafale is equipped with an RBE2 passive electronically scanned radar developed by Thales, which has look-down and shoot-down capabilities and it can track up to eight targets simultaneously and provides threat identfications and prioritisation.
Active electronic scanning makes it possible to switch radar modes quickly, thereby enabling operational functions to run simultaneously.
In short, the Rafale can carry a wide range of weapons, and perform air to air, air to ground, and air to sea combat well.
INDIA’S CASE of F4 RAFALES:
India is not going to place an order for next set of 110 jets before the end of 2020, if the recent Boeing statement that India will take two years to complete the trials of various aircrafts and vetting of the offers, is to be taken at face value. The current order of 36 aircrafts will be completed by middle of 2022. And from next year i.e. 2023 India can have delivery of Rafale F4 standard. Possible France has begun to work eagerly on F4 standard with Indian order in sight. Any future enhancements can be taken as part of the offer. By 2025 Rafale 5th tranche will be fully ready. If current order and delivery schedule is to go by, even that fits the bill perfectly.
What F4 standard will have :
Although light on specifics, the defence ministry of France says the F4 upgrade will be driven by operational feedback and will include improvements to the Rafale’s networking capabilities and sensors.
So that includes Conformal array radars. In layman’s language Sensors of current RBE2 will be installed all over the body including wings for 360 degree coverage. Spectra suite will be further given teeth, borne off flying Rafales in Syria.
In addition, it will take into account the “expected evolution” of missiles and engines, as well as the likely integration of new capabilities.
It means Range of Meteors will go beyond 200 km and approach 250 km. MICAs will also be enhanced. Range of Storm shadow will be further enhanced. After all current AGM-158 JASSM-ER aboard Super Hornet can be fired from 950km stand-off range. As compared to that STORM SHADOW has a range of 500 km. So France would be working on that.
Also it would surely involve integration of anti-armour Brimstone 2 missile with a range of more than 60 km. Possibly Brimstone III or Spear III is in the plans which has a range of 120 km and will be around by then.
More powerful engines will be installed from current Snecma M-88 that produce 75kN of thrust each. Likely new capabilities would mean Rafale will be further made stealthier
Upgrades could include cockpit redesign or introduction of low-observability modifications to better position this 4.5 generation fighter against modern and future fighters.
Source:- Global Defence Watch
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