Dassault Rafale Full Module

[upyr1]

On 11/24/2022 at 4:49 PM, MiG21bisFishbedL said:

Not that simple, sadly.

Unless Dassault wants to play ball, it's a no-go.

I wonder if anyone has asked them yet?

[Furiz]

On 11/26/2022 at 6:55 AM, upyr1 said:

I wonder if anyone has asked them yet?

There was even a petition which got few thousand ppl on it but they said no, I don't know french but I guess its their laws or money their are asking, but I guess they wont discuss it with the public.

We can only speculate here, and dream on

 

Edit: Remembered that in some interview with ED they said they want to do it but the french...

Edited November 28, 2022 by Furiz

[Furiz]

Lots of info about Rafale here too (cant remember if it has been posted already):

https://omnirole-rafale.com/

[Ashayar]

On 2/25/2023 at 1:51 PM, Furiz said:

Lots of info about Rafale here too (cant remember if it has been posted already):

https://omnirole-rafale.com/

I didin't know about this site! Thank you!

[Crouz]

ed is not French...

[Furiz]

44 minutes ago, Crouz said:

ed is not French...

And ED is what then? If it even matters.

Edited February 27, 2023 by Furiz

[Ashayar]

2 hours ago, Furiz said:

And ED is what then? If it even matters.

 

It matters. As ED is not French, we may never have a Mirage 2000 in DCS... Oh wait!  

[F-2]

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001SPIE.4369..178P/abstract White paper on OSF behind paywall, but might be of use if a project gets off the ground. For F2 standard on.

[F-2]

Quote

In fact, an AESA flew on Rafale in May 2003. According to Ramstein, a migration to AESA has been considered from the early days of the programme, and the RBE2 is designed so that an AESA front end can replace the current passive antenna and TWT. Power and cooling are adequate for the job. A programme called Demonstrateur de Radar a l'Antenne Active (DRAA) started in 2000, and the radar flew on a Falcon in late 2002 before flying in Rafale B301. "It was a difficult integration, taking two or three days," jokes Ramstein. The problem, however, is that DRAA relied on US-sourced high-power processing chips - which, after Korea and the Iraq war, no longer seemed like a good idea. A new AESA version of the RBE2, DRAAMA (DRAA modes avancées), using all-European technology, was launched in July 2004 and will be ready in 2007-08. "We have a firm commitment to AESA, which allows us to propose it for export," Ramstein says.
However, Dassault and Thales are not proposing to make the AESA the all-encompassing RF Cuisinart that Boeing (for example) envisages for the Super Hornet, with features such as passive detection, multi-beam operation and jamming. Nor does the team intend to exploit the AESA's wide bandwidth, which would mean a new radome. (This suggests that the current radome is a bandpass design, transparent at the RBE2 frequency but stealthily reflective at any other.) Rather, the approach is to minimise cost and risk by keeping the same modes as the RBE2, while harvesting what are seen as the most valuable advantages of the AESA. These include a 50 per cent-plus increase in detection range - a better match for Meteor - much better performance at the edges of the elevation and bearing envelope, better reliability through the elimination of single-point failures and lower through-life costs. With only 120 aircraft planned by 2012, the pace of the Rafale programme has been influenced more by budget considerations than by technology.

Quote

While the RBE2 AESA does not add any additional modes of operation compared to the Rafale's earlier passively electronic scanned array (PESA) RBE2, the performance in each mode is significantly improved, Thales stated. A key feature of AESAs, a lack of moving parts, has reduced the mean time between failure on the RBE2 AESA by a factor of 10 compared to the RBE2 PESA, according to Thales. The RBE2 AESA will also continue to "deliver full performance if a certain number of TR [Transmitter Receiver] modules have degraded", the spokesperson added, although they did not specify what this number was. While some early components, including TR modules, are understood to have been sourced from abroad, Thales has now "produced a complete supply chain [for the RBE2 AESA], with no critical component coming from abroad".

https://www.key.aero/forum/modern-military-aviation/129695-f-35-news-multimedia-discussion-thread-2?p=3021418&page=137
 

Apparently the F3R AESA uses the same modes as the previous PESA with the new modes and advanced scanning algorithms to come in F4. Interesting, another possibility meteor carrier.

[Furiz]

F2 Video:

 

[F-2]

http://kovy.free.fr/temp/rafale/pdf/Rafale_etude_polyvalence_2006.pdf
 

french document on Rafales Human factors

[toni]

So,  a Super Etendart   plus  a  Carrier Foch  SC  style ?

[F-2]

54 minutes ago, toni said:

So,  a Super Etendart   plus  a  Carrier Foch  SC  style ?

I kinda feel if we get a Rafale F1 a Super Etendart would be a perfect as well as necessary companion. We are getting an F-8 so we would have a fairly complete post war French carrier ops. Even a later F2 or 3 would probably benefit for a SE as they served together for quite some time.

[Furiz]

On 4/9/2023 at 4:45 PM, F-2 said:

I kinda feel if we get a Rafale F1 a Super Etendart would be a perfect as well as necessary companion. We are getting an F-8 so we would have a fairly complete post war French carrier ops. Even a later F2 or 3 would probably benefit for a SE as they served together for quite some time.

I don't think they would even consider F1 version since it was AA only, maybe for starters like Eurofighter is gonna be AA and then later upgrade to AG, AG capability comes with F2 standard.

[F-2]

https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/6.1996-3726
 

flight control paper (paywall)

[Furiz]

Simulator in Naval Airbase

 

[F-2]

https://www.sto.nato.int/publications/AGARD/AGARD-CP-548/AGARDCP548.pdf
 

page 101 basic aerodynamic info on Rafale A

Some other interesting papers

http://kovy.free.fr/temp/rafale/pdf/Rafale_demonstrator.pdf

 

https://www.sto.nato.int/publications/AGARD/AGARD-CP-593/27chap22.pdf
 

Phd thesis with m53 and m88 thrust curves

 

http://elodieroux.com/ReportFiles/ModelesMoteurVersionPublique.pdf

 

 

https://jglobal.jst.go.jp/en/search/anythings#{"category"%3A"0"%2C"keyword"%3A"Rafale "}

 

some other papers that might be of use. Will look into getting more of them

https://jglobal.jst.go.jp/en/search/anythings#{"category"%3A"0"%2C"keyword"%3A"Rafale "}

 

[F-2]

Quote

Ramping Up Rafale

French boosting Rafale's capabilities as they prepare to field multirole version

MICHAEL A. TAVERNA,ROBERT WALLJUNE152009

Ramping Up Rafale

PARIS 2009 MILITARY AIRCRAFT

French boosting Rafale's capabilities as they prepare to field multirole version

MICHAEL A. TAVERNA

ROBERT WALL

PARIS

French military planners remain confident that the Dassault Rafale’s proven combat experience and new multirole capability, together with further upgrades in the pipeline, will enable the fighter to improve its operational effectiveness and, perhaps, gain a long-sought export breakthrough.

In recent years, the focus has been on fielding the new F3 multirole version, which provides nuclear and naval strike and reconnaissance capabilities in addition to conventional air-to-air and ground attack modes. With this version now qualified and set to enter service next year, the emphasis is shifting toward upgrades needed to improve the aircraft’s operational capabilities and augment its export appeal.

By 2012, a much enhanced Rafale should be in operation, with an active, electronically scanned antenna (AESA) radar, upgraded optical sensors and electronic warfare suite, and a better targeting pod.

What’s more, the systems being introduced in the next few years will provide the building blocks for further improvements. The AESA radar, for example, has growth potential to provide a high-power jamming capability, as well

as satellite communications and other features. Thales program manager JeanNoel Stock says the AESA could permit an inverse synthetic aperture radar capability to image ships. Similarly, the Reco-NG reconnaissance pod, currently in development, could evolve into a hyperspectral sensing system, providing more intelligence information.

However, for now, no funding is available for such concepts, which are not likely to be introduced until the midlife upgrade in 2024-25. The priority now is on expanding the existing aircraft’s capabilities.

French air force officials say the service is “extremely happy” with the current F2 strike version of the Rafale, introduced in mid-2006 and first deployed to Afghanistan in 2007. The F2 is equipped with the Link 16 Multifunction Information Distribution System and GBU-12 laser-guided bombs and, like the earlier FI air-to-air version, features sophisticated infrared search-and-track (known by its French acronym, OSF) and Specter self-protection systems. However, the F2 has no targeting pod. This drawback is partially offset by using the OSF to perform ground surveillance, even though it was not designed for that. Last year, the GPS-guided

AASM precision weapon and a 30-mm. gun were added to the F2’s arsenal.

The Rafale F2 has performed several rotations to Afghanistan—having just completed the latest stint last month—as part of France’s six-aircraft close air support unit, first in Dushanbe, Tadjikistan, and now in Kandahar. The air force says availability has been excellent, and logistics demands very light compared with older aircraft such as the Mirage 2000D.

The Afghan deployment, in turn, has made Rafale a more credible candidate for foreign sales opportunities than it was in early contests in South Korea, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. The loss of a competition in Morocco last year to the Lockheed Martin F-16 is imputed to poor organization and support within the French government foreign military sales program—a situation that has since been corrected.

Industry officials say they believe India, the biggest prize, remains in play, although reports in late April suggested that Rafale had been eliminated. A Libyan deal appears stalled, but talks with the United Arab Emirates are given a good chance of succeeding because of growing strategic ties between Paris and Dubai. (France opened a big military base in Abu Dhabi on May 26.)

Dassault officials say they have answered a request for proposals from Switzerland, which is expected to decide on a new fighter buy by year’s end. The Brazilian competition received a boost from a wide-ranging defense cooperation deal between Paris and Brasilia in December.

“We now have the government fully behind us; the lessons of Morocco have been learned,” says Gen. Herve Longuet, air adviser to Dassault Chairman/CEO Charles Edelstenne. “The aircraft is flying well, it’s technologically mature, and it has a road map for further improve-

ments. It has everything it needs to become a success on the export market.”

An initial batch of incremental enhancements, expected to be ready by 2010, will take advantage of operational feedback from Afghanistan. More than €100 million ($138 million) has been made available for this purpose, either through an urgent operational request system put in place in 2005 to fast-track qualification of the GBU-12 and Link 16, or an economic recovery plan approved at the end of last year.

Thales is working on a communications

architecture centered around a “black box” that will make it easier to switch between NATO and non-NATO standard integration friend-or-foe, voice communications and tactical data links. This addition should facilitate interoperability and help in export competitions, says Richard Gascoin, marketing manager for communications systems at Thales.

Incremental improvements also include Rover air-ground data links and an off-the-shelf multipurpose computer, known as Decalco, that can be employed for enhanced ground situational aware-

ness, navigation map display or other tasks.

Also set to be introduced next year is an infrared-guided version of the AASM and the Damocles targeting pod. Damocles was part of the F2 standard but has taken longer to develop than expected, partly because of the need to introduce basic functionalities such as cannon control that were not initially foreseen. The pod will allow the Rafale to illuminate its own targets, instead of using designators from buddy aircraft or ground spotters.

In the longer term, planners are focusing on a new Rafale standard, known as F3-Plus, intended initially to enhance the fighter’s export potential but now earmarked for the French air force as well. The centerpiece of the new standard is the Thales RBE2 AESA radar, which will boost target detection range by 50% and increase the number of targets that can be tracked simultaneously, while providing a high-speed terrain-following capability. Rafale will be the first advanced European fighter to carry an AESA radar.

Initial low-rate production of the AESA radar began in November, and a full-scale production go-ahead is expected by the end of this year. Flight testing on Rafale is to begin in mid-2010. Yves Chaltiel, senior vice president for government programs at Thales Aerospace, says the RBE2 could be installed on F2 standard aircraft in less than an hour by changing out the front end and loading new software. But so far the plan is only to equip new-build Rafale F3s.

Other features of the F3-Plus are an improved forward infrared-and-track system, known as OSF-IT; a redesigned missile launch detector, the DDM-NG from MBDA; and bigger GBU-24 bombs. The hardware design for the searchand-track and missile detector systems has been defined, but engineers are still tweaking the software. The systems are expected to begin trials on a flying testbed at year-end and on Rafale in 2010.

Recently, work began on an upgraded targeting pod, Damocles XF, that is also to be ready in 2012 (AW&ST May 18, p. 30). Partly reflecting operational experience in Afghanistan, the XF will improve shortand medium-range imagery without degrading long-range performance and permit support missions at closer range. It will include a data link to provide ground forces with full motion video from the pod.

Several other enhancements are planned, but no timeline or budget has yet been allocated for fielding them, says

Stephane Reb, project manager at the French armaments agency (DGA). The most important is the Meteor over-thehorizon air-to-air missile, which will take advantage of the AESA radar’s long-range detection and tracking capability. Reb says Meteor integration on Rafale will start around 2013-14, which would be consistent with service entry in 2017-18.

In addition to Meteor, the DGA has started risk-reduction and technology demonstrations for a laser version of the AASM and an improved data fusion system, and is studying arming of the Position 3 hard point on the wing. A test firing of the laser AASM is expected next year, but no decision on full-scale integration and production has been made.

Meanwhile, industry is looking at other upgrades that could entice export customers to the Rafale. These include integration of GBU-22 and 49 Enhanced Paveway bombs, a penetrator version of the AASM or a podded fiber-optic towed decoy. However, Reb says no decision has been made to integrate such systems on Rafale.

Nor are the French forces interested for now in developing upgraded versions of the Snecma M-88. The UAE is said to be interested in a higher-powered engine to meet hot-and-high requirements, and has said it may be willing to partially underwrite its development.

Design enhancements are not the only means being used to entice overseas buyers. The French have also been attempting to impress potential customers with a few operational tricks, such as the Rafale’s ability to engage adversaries while remaining in partial or full passive mode.

Although much attention is being paid to improving Rafale’s capabilities, the aircraft is still in “ramp-up” mode. Only 73 of the 120 aircraft on order have been delivered, and just 43 are in service with the French air force, including five F3s.

The first squadron of air force F3s stood up at St. Dizier air base in eastern France in March, following final qualification of the new standard last year. The first naval F3s will be delivered in the coming weeks.

For now, the F3s are operating with F2 functionalities until outstanding issues are resolved, says Jean-Marc Gasparini, vice president for military aircraft at Dassault Aviation. Resolution of these issues—which concern man-machine interface problems, reconnaissance doctrine and final qualification of the RecoNG pod and advanced ASMP-A nuclear cruise missile— is expected by year-end.

Despite the fact that a follow-on batch of 60 Rafales is to be ordered this year, the French government is counting on export sales to permit a stretchout in deliveries, needed to help underwrite spending on other top-priority defense capabilities. Deliveries are due to drop to 11 aircraft next year, from 14 in 2009, and possibly fewer from 2012 onward, says Reb.

However, this schedule, he says, assumes that an export breakthrough will allow output to be maintained at 11 aircraft per year or more. The baseline

for the next Rafale batch, which also assumes export sales, foresees deliveries beginning in 2015 and continuing through 2019. If there are no export orders, deliveries could begin two years earlier.

Meanwhile, planners are drawing on initial operational feedback to improve the way the Rafale is used, says Longuet. Pilot training is one area being looked at. The idea now is to put all pilots through a common program and then have them specialize in air combat, strike and other dedicated missions. ©

 

Quote

Rafale to Offer Multirole Mission Capability

The aircraft will offer operators high performance, a reduced signature and sensor integration

DAVID M. NORTHJULY 51999

Rafale To Offer Multirole Mission Capability

RAFALE PILOT REPORT

DAVID M. NORTH

The aircraft will offer operators high performance, a reduced signature and sensor integration

ISTRES, FRANCE

The Dassault Aviation Rafale provides a high-performance platform for the integrated avionics and fusion of tactical information needed by today’s pilots to effectively perform true multirole combat missions.

While the French fighter program was started in the early 1980s as a single aircraft to perform multiple roles for both the French air force and navy, the acquisition program was stalled for many years during French government budget deliberations. Despite the delay, the test program on the aircraft continued, and there has been some 3,600 hr. of test flying logged on the prototypes and one production two-seater.

However, during the development of the aircraft, the Thomson-CSF RBE2 radar, the Spectra integrated countermeasures suite and other sensor packages have continually been upgraded so that they are more than comparable with those of other modern-day fighters.

WHILE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE is still a factor in any combat engagement, it is more often the performance of the active and passive sensors, aids to pilot situational awareness, electronic countermeasures and weapon capability that are the deciding factors in a combat engagement. Stealth technology applied to fighters is becoming a factor as well. While the Rafale is not in the same stealth league as the Lockheed Martin F-22, Dassault engineers claim that they have been able to reduce the signature of the Rafale by a factor of 10 to the Mirage 2000-5.

I was fortunate to be asked to fly the Rafale from Dassault’s Istres Flight Test Center last month. The flight was with Philippe Rebourg, deputy chief test pilot for military aircraft at Dassault. The flight was to be in a B01. This is the prototype two-seater used primarily for performance testing, and was not equipped with the RBE2 radar. As a follow-on to the actual flight, I later spent time in the Rafale simulator that had been set up for demon-

strations at the Dassault exhibit at last month’s Paris air show. The simulator demonstration was with Jean Camus and Gerard Dailloux, both Dassault pilots.

Following a morning of briefings with Rebourg on the aircraft’s systems, I suited up in a G-suit and harness specific to the Rafale. One feature of the flight equipment I appreciated was that the gloves were almost skin-tight, and were designed for use with the touch screens in the Rafale.

It was decided that with the limited briefing time, I would fly from the rear seat and Rebourg the front seat. The rear seat does not have a gear handle, control of the autothrottles or parking brake, and the pilot in the rear seat is unable to open the canopy. More importantly, the pilot in the rear seat can not activate the nec-

essary systems in an emergency situation.

The B01 prototype on the Istres ramp was in a heavy load configuration with three 600-gal. drop tanks, two dummy Scalp cruise missiles and four Mica air-to-air missiles. The maximum takeoff weight for the prototypes is approximately 43,000 lb. Of the total ramp weight, some 11,000 lb. was fuel, and 1,400 lb. was in the center fuel tank. The first production aircraft has been launched for flight at close to 50,700 lb., and the Rafale is expected to be cleared to heavier weight prior to becoming operational. The heavy weight configuration would impose a maximum speed of Mach 0.9 and a minimum speed of 100 kt. Roll rate and maximum angle of attack also would be limited.

I eased into the rear Martin Baker Mkl6F ejection seat. The leg restraints are built into the aircraft, thus separate garters are not required. The seat is angled back at slightly less than that of the

Lockheed Martin

F-16. In an ejection, the rear seat is the first through the canopy, followed by the front seat.

The instrument panel is dominated by a Sextant 10 X 10-in. multifunction liquid crystal display. The display is focused to infinity and during our mission mostly showed the route of flight. In combat operations, it would be used for tactical display. Both rear and front seats are equipped with a Sextant head-up display (HUD), also focused to infinity. Transitioning between the HUD and the large LCD required me to refocus a few times, but it was not onerous.

REBOURG STARTED THE TWO ENGINES using the engine master switch. The Rafale’s APU and both engines can be started automatically well within the 2-min. requirement of the French air force. With the APU already running, the two Snecma M88-2 engines can be started in close to 1 min. The Rafale is equipped with a single throttle for both engines, but the front seat has two small auxiliary throttles that can be engaged if the pilot needs to operate only one engine for any reason.

Following the required ramp checks, I taxied the Rafale to Runway 33 at Istres. The aircraft responded precisely to the rudder pedal nosewheel steering input, and the brakes were very effective. Idle power for the heavy configuration resulted in a comfortable taxi speed. From the back seat, I could easily watch the canards move as we

hit small bumps in the taxiway.

I lined up on the active runway, and Rebourg said I could hold the brakes until going into afterburner. Instead, with plenty of runway, I smoothly advanced the throttle through military power and into afterburner, and after a 3,000-ft. run, we became airborne at near 160 kt. The Rafale is equipped with a side-stick controller, with slightly more displacement than that of the F-16. Remembering my flights in the F-16,1 avoided exerting too much pressure on the takeoff and made a gradual climb up to near 5,000 ft. with the gear up and in military power.

AT THIS ALTITUDE AND 300 KT., and clear of any traffic, I raised the aircrafts nose to 10 deg. and performed an aileron roll to the left, and then one to the right. Roll rate was l60-deg./sec. in the heavy configuration, but still respectable for all the drop tanks and weapons we had hanging from the aircraft. Rebourg said that the normal roll rate for a clean Rafale is 250-deg./sec. The fighter is equipped with a three-channel digital flight control system, with a backup two-channel analog system. Re-

bourg said that the only time you would notice the difference between the digital and analog systems in flight would be in close formation, or during inflight refueling, where the analog system would not respond as precisely to control inputs.

While at the lower altitude, we chose to look at the automatic terrain-following feature of the aircraft. Rebourg coached me into setting the autopilot requirements on the left-hand display, while he set up the autothrottle for 450 kt. The left multifunction display was primarily used for autopilot, radio and IFF functions, while the right display showed engine and fuel information.

As we descended to 300 ft., a floor level came up on the HUD and center display to show us our minimum flight altitude. Once in a relatively narrow river

valley, the sides of the valley were shown in five levels, indicating how far we could turn in each direction. The automatic terrainfollowing worked flawlessly, although I had my hands resting lightly on the throttle and stick. The turns to different waypoints were well-coordinated by the Rafale, including one sharp turn at a 90-deg. bank angle. The input for the terrain-following was a digital database, using inertial navigation and GPS inputs for navigation. Rebourg said the system has worked well during development. The advantage of the digital database is that it is passive. Thomson is working on a radarbased terrain-following system, but that does not have a high priority right now.

I WAS IMPRESSED with how steady the Rafale was at this speed and altitude over changing Provence terrain at the high heat of the day and some good winds. I had no difficulty keeping the HUD flight parameters and the terrain-following information in focus during the low-altitude flight.

Afterburner was selected for a climb to 10,000 ft. During the cruise over the water, Rebourg had me selecting different parameters for the autopilot and showed me how well the HOTAS hands-on-throttle-and-stick worked in the Rafale. He also had me input data using the touch screens. Both methods worked well.

I started a loop in military power and 450 kt. using a 4g pullup and speed at the

top was 180 kt. The aircraft was responsive both in pitch and roll control, and I ended up some 500 ft. from the starting altitude. For the next maneuver, I selected afterburner, banked some 75 deg. and pulled to the maximum allowable gs of 5.5, in the heavy configuration. Starting at 420 kt., the speed was 330 kt. after completing a 360-deg. turn.

Rebourg said that with a clean Rafale, using afterburner, you can enter a turn at 500 kt. and 10,000 ft., pull the maximum 9g and still accelerate. Cornering speed for the Rafale is 350 kt., he said. The Snecma M88-2 engines are in the 7.5-ton class for power, but for the export version of the Rafale, Dassault is considering installing 9.0-ton-class engines. This would

give the Rafale improved sustained maneuvering performance, but not increase the aircraft’s top speed of near Mach 1.8, Rebourg said.

The French test pilot said the potential move to the higher power engines is for performance gains only, and not to correct any problems with the Snecma M88-2 engines. He said there have been no problems with the 16,870-lb.-thrust rated engines (in afterburner) since they were installed in the Rafale in the early 1990s. The proof of that came during the

flight as I went from afterburner to idle power and back to military during maneuvers. Rebourg said there were no limitations on the engines.

I then pulled the aircraft up to a nosehigh attitude in the mid-engine power range. Maximum angle of attack in the heavy configuration is 21 deg., while it is 28 deg. when clean. Minimum airspeed is 100 kt. for the Rafale in any configuration. In the nose-high attitude at 118 kt., the aircraft was fully controllable in roll, and the nose wanted to drop. Rebourg said that to date, they have not been able to depart the aircraft into a spin.

During all of these maneuvers, my primary flight display was the Sextant HUD, which I found to contain all the necessary

information in a format that was quickly assimilated and understandable. By this time, I also was very comfortable with the side-stick controller, both as to its position in the cockpit and to the response to control inputs. Having not flown a fighter for more than eight months, I thought I would have a tendency to overcontrol the aircraft. While that was true for the first few maneuvers, the flight control system response became smoother during the flight.

While level at 10,000 ft., and at 270 kt., I deployed the speedbrakes, which sent the canards front edge up and the devons on each wing in opposite directions. There was virtually no change in pitch, but the aircraft gained between 10-30 ft. in altitude.

Rebourg next selected the automatic terrain sea-following mode, which sent the aircraft to a nose-down attitude, and the rate of descent slowed near 1,000 ff. at 360 kt.

prior to leveling off at 300 ft., but the aircraft will be cleared to 50 ft. Despite the low level, the Rafale’s performance so far had given me confidence in the aircraft’s systems. Approaching the French coast, the terrain-following automatically switched from the sea mode to the digital terrain base.

During the flight back to Istres, Rebourg had me set up the back seat for an instrument landing approach to Runway 15. I found that with a little prodding from the front seat, I was able to configure the aircraft for the approach. He set the autothrottle to 130 kt., and a 16-deg. angle of attack. After capturing the glideslope at 2,000 ft. with the landing gear down, the autopilot kept us on centerline despite a tail wind in gusty conditions.

Following the waveoff, I entered the

downwind for Runway 33. The field of view from the back seat was excellent during the downwind and 90-deg. position, but once I had to rely on the HUD for reference to the runway, I had difficulty in lining up with the monochromatic picture. I followed the flight path vector down at 3 deg. until 40 ft., when the vector moved to 1-deg. down to provide for a flare. Touchdown was smooth and Rebourg took over and stopped the aircraft in less than 1,400 ft. The Rafale is equipped with an anti-skid system, but not auto-brakes.

Rebourg said the French air force pilots flying from the back seat also had complained about the monochromatic view provided through the HUD, and Dassault was going to switch to liquid crystal display provided by a television camera in later aircraft.

I taxied the Rafale back to the ramp, and found placing the fighter on the exact spot asked for by the crew chief not a difficult task. Total fuel used during the 1.2 hr. flight was 9,600 lb. I found that the performance of the Rafale matched my expectations, even in its heavy configuration. While this is a smaller and lighter aircraft than the Boeing F/A-18F I flew last summer, its performance during the low level and some of its maneuvers closely reminded me of the Super Hornet. Situational awareness was approached differently in the design and size of the displays in both aircraft, but the result is that both aircraft bring that capability to the pilot. Overall, I found that the throttle placement, the side-stick controller, the Rafale’s worry-free flight control system and engines made for a very enjoyable flight.

MUCH OF THE ELECTRONIC PACKAGE going into the Rafale for operational use is still in development. However, the ThomsonCSF electronically scanning RBE2 radar has been installed in the first production two-seater for the French air force. The expected capability of the multifunction radar also was shown in the Rafale simulator at Le Bourget. As an example of its flexibility, a ground target can be designated as a target and tracked, while the Rafale engages airborne targets, Camus said.

Camus sees the Rafale using multiple sensors on a typical combat mission. The first task would be the compilation of all the intelligence data into the mission planning system to be shown in the aircraft’s large center display. The next sequence would be for recent data link information from other aircraft or AWACS to be fed into the tactical display. Thomson is working on a data link system for the Rafale that is very similar to the Multifunction

Information Distribution System (MIDS), and can either be used as a stand-alone system or used with NATO equipment.

Still staying passive, the Rafale’s Spectre Defensive Aid Sub-System (DASS) electronic system designed by Thomson and Matra would be able to pick up enemy radars in excess of 200 naut. mi. and give location and identification. The Spectre also offers laser and IR missile launch detector, as well as digital solid-state jammer.

The next system likely to be used in a combat flight would be the Front Sector Optronics System, which features a wide angle IR sensor and a long-focal-length CCD camera. Both of these displays were shown to me in the simulator. The IR detection has the longer range and also identification capability. Once a target is picked up by the IR system, the camera is slaved along the same axis and the target is shown on the display. Identification of a target from the camera display is more accurate than IR, Camus said.

At this point in an engagement, the pilot could then activate the radar to get a firing envelope for the Rafale’s air-to-air, medium-range Mica EM missiles. The Mica IR beyond-visual-range missile is still in development. The Dassault simulator was equipped with a large screen visual system showing both ground features and opposing aircraft. The RBE2 radar, or data-link information, showed eight hostile aircraft on the cockpit tactical display. The RBE2 radar will show up to 40 targets, and prioritizes eight targets as the “first to kill” and then will fire at four simultaneously with the radar-to-missiles data links working with the search and track-while-scan radar mode. The air-toground mode of the radar is still in development.

Another feature to be offered to customers of the export Rafale is voice activation. The Sextant system has been flying on a Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet for two years and was demonstrated in the simulator by Dailloux. Right now, the Sextant voice activation system has a 250-word vocabulary, and a working group is still defining what messages to use. However, if the end result is anything close to the demonstration, almost everything in the Rafale can be accomplished by voice, except for the “fire” command for weapons and other specific instructions. Included in the demonstration commands were radio frequency changes, radar range changes, call-up of pages on the displays as well as altitude, pitch angle and heading changes. A visual target can be created in the display by giving relative speeds and positions. While the voice activation system is being developed for the export market, it could be ordered by the French services at a later date.

THERE ARE SOME 61 RAFALES on contract. Three are test aircraft, 10 of the first-production are Rafale Ms for the French navy. Of the remaining 48, another 15 are for the navy, 21 are two-seater Rafale Bs and 12 are single-seaters for the air force. The 48 are to be delivered in 2004 in the Block F2 configuration, which includes the data link computer, data fusion, Spectre, IRST, the Mica IR missile and radar terrain-following. The F3 standard for 2006 will include the helmet-mounted display system and nuclear strike and reconnaissance mission capabilities.

The Rafale in its present configuration offers operators an excellent air-to-air combat capability and limited visual attack usage. When it reaches its full combat configuration around 2005, it will be one of the most formidable operational multimission aircraft in the sky. ©

 

Some articles on Rafale capabilities and the Rafale M COG

DT0_position_CDG_Rafale.pdf

[F-2]

ECM 

Continued

[F-2]

Quote

NT CASE THE "RBE2" RADAR OF THE RAFALE COMBAT AIRPLANE Philippe RAMSTEIN and Max SCHUMPERLI THE RAFALE SHOULD ULTIMATELY REPLACE ALL THE AIRCRAFT CURRENTLY IN SERVICE IN THE AIR FORCE AND IN NAVAL AERONAUTICS, IT WAS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE IT WITH A RADAR COMBINING ALL THE FUNCTIONALITIES OF THE SPECIALIZED RADARS OF PREVIOUS GENERATION • THE RBE 2 - RADAR WITH ELECTRONIC SCANNING 2 PLANES - MEETS THIS AMBITIOUS OBJECTIVE OF VERSATILITY • Max SCHUMPERLI, ISEN Engineer, is Deputy Director of the Detection Division of DASSAULT ÉLECTRONIQUE. 35 Philippe RAMSTEIN, X-ENST engineer is director of the “Elancourt” radar programs at the THOMSON-CSF Radars & Contre-mesures subsidiary. THE RBE 2 PROGRAM signal and information, materials, subassemblies; The implementation of the RBE2 program was the result of a long preparation since already at the beginning of the 80s, the need to have a common radar for all missions was taking shape. This need has led to a search in emerging technologies for solutions to meet this need: electronic scanning antenna, very high-speed integrated circuits, composite materials, etc., which has led to the launch of a series of actions with the help from the DGA: — exploratory developments to validate in flight, on models, the new concepts. The development of the RBE2 was entrusted at the end of 1988 to the GIE Radar ACT/ACM RAFALE, bringing together the companies Thomson-CSF (for 2/3) and DASSAULT ELECTRONIQUE (for 1/3), which was notified to the end of 1989 the development work on the RBE2. Since then, many important milestones have been reached: mid 1989: start of development work - upstream studies in the field of components, processing algorithms prototype development; RADAR «RBE2> enemy jamming, but also radiation from friendly systems. - the possibility of developing a multi-sensor tactical situation, the role of which is to provide knowledge of the military environment; - end of 1991: acceptance of the first prototype These requirements set the main functional characteristics of RBF2: — taking into account the performance required, the need for a 2-plane electronic scanning antenna and a high-performance transmission-reception chain; - given the wide variety of missions assigned, the need for numerous operating modes leading on the one hand to high programmability of its sub-assemblies and to powerful processing, on the other hand to a very significant development software development. CASE RBE2: -July 1992: 1st prototype RBE2 flight on Airplane Mystery 20 Test Bench; -July 1993: 1st prototype RBE2 flight on a Rafale aircraft; - August 1994: launch of the industrialization phase. - an ability to blindly penetrate enemy territory with a good level of survivability; - an ability to implement Air-Air, Air-Ground and Air-Sea multi-target fire control. All of these features should be The release of the first series radar is scheduled for February 1997. The development of radar operating modes, characterized by the creation and development of software installed on the prototype radars, is being carried out gradually. The fine-tuning of all operating modes must continue in line with the development of operational standards. robust; they must be able to be implemented day and night in various meteorological conditions, and a dense electromagnetic environment: Glossary RAFALE INTEGRATION Tactical Fighter / Marine Fighter Application Specific Integrated Circuit •ACT/ACM • ASIC Armament Electronics Center (located in Bruz) Flight Test Center • CELAR What is the need? • BODY • CAD/CAM Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing The Rafale is intended to replace the Jaguars, Mirage F1s and eventually the first-generation Mirage 2000s in the Air Force, and the Crusaders and Super-Etendards in the Navy. • DGA General Delegation for Armaments • DO Designation of Objectives • POSSIBLY Terrain Avoidance • FFT Fast FOURIER Transform • BE Intermediate Frequency This is why, operationally, the system must be capable, alone or on patrol, of ensuring missions in post-2000 enemy environments: - defense and air superiority; GIE •IEMN Economic Interest Grouping Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse Front Sector Optronic Interception, Combat and Self-Protection Missile • MICA • OSF Programmable Signal Processor • PSP •RBE2 2-Plane Electronic Scanning Radar Range Finder and Tracking - attacking valuable land targets; • RDP hostile tory • SDT Very Low Altitude Terrain Following -storming at sea; • TBA - fire support on the ground. • THT Very High Voltage To achieve all of these versatility objectives, the Rafale system offers both: • TOP Traveling Wave Tube • STEAM Programmable Arithmetic Unit Line Replaceable Unit • URL ADVANCED TECHNICS AND TECHNOLOGIES assembly unit is composed of a microwave receiver cooled by cryogenic device as well as electronic scanning antenna including 2 dielectric lenses with more than 50 000 diodes. This antenna provides an accurate beam agility with a low sidelobe level. As a result, all the air mission spectrum is covered. automatic multitarget Thanks to specific trackings are independent of detection. Fired missiles can be updated with target data sent by data link up to the multitarget combat modes. ABSTRACT processing, waveform management and diagram quality, RBE2 considerably reduces the jammer effects in the main functions which can also be simultaneous. RAFALE integration and environment contraints have led to innovate in many directions: the mass In Very Low Level Flight function, a 3 dimensional map is sent to the aircraft system to perform blind penetration with high level of security. decreases by 30%, the volume is divided by 2 and thermic and electric performance is higher. The exciter-receiver includes GaAs submicronic components as well as acoustic wave filters, the transmitter uses a TWT working in a wide band with a large dynamic, the forward After 6 year development, the RBE2 has won the taken up challenges and production line is due to begin in 1997. Moreover, in the future, this background will optimize preliminary thoughts about integration requirements, performance specifications and cost mastery. In Air to Surface function, multitarget RBE2 provides detection and tracking of war ships as well as ranging or very high resolution maps of ground targets. COMPLETE OPERATIONAL FUNCTIONS In Air to Air function, contrary to mechanical radar, NEW JOURNAL OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS N° 1-1996 Integration requirements The variety of situations to be dealt with as well as the foreseeable evolution of threats during the life of the aircraft led the GIE to design a radar capable of making the best use of the maximum possible resources. The material is therefore as universal as possible and offers significant possibilities: The development of an operational radar requires the production of equipment that must satisfy not only the required performance, but also the weapon integration requirements. and environment on aircraft - dialogue with the Rafale weapons system. 4. The mini-structure supports these three subassemblies, the assembly constituting the CASE rear part of the radar. 5. The front assembly consists of the electronically scanned antenna and its control circuits as well as microwave reception. that ways of The choice of a multi-purpose aircraft, equipped with a single radar to ensure all the missions of the Naval and Air Aeronautical Forces has resulted in new and severe specifications that the RBE2 must fully satisfy. They relate to a wide variety of characteristics, from resistance to IEMN (Nuclear Electro-Magnetic Pulse) and strong fields, to the “shock” environment of the landing/catapulting and to the maintenance. -of Doppler waveform or not; 6. The shell is made up of a ferrule allowing the front part of the radar to be fixed to the aircraft, and a radome transparent to electromagnetic waves. pulse duration; illumination time. The RBE2 consists of six removable sub-assemblies (illustration 2) called "< URL" - Replaceable Units The integration of pilot functions and Online: 1. The pilot/receiver unites in the same box: receiver Frequency synthesis uses gallium arsenide technologies and sub-micron etched surface acoustic wave filters. Responding to new requirements for spectral purity and frequency agility, these microwave circuits ensure the transposition necessary for transmission in a wide frequency range. These efforts have made it possible to integrate the pilot and receiver functions in the same box, and thus save a factor of 2 in mass and volume compared to the previous generation. However, three characteristics determined from the start of the program the technological innovations that had to be studied and developed for the RBE2: mass, volume, thermal and electrical environment. the functions for generating the microwave to be transmitted; the functions of IF reception and analog/digital conversion of the signals received. 37 2. The transmitter amplifies the microwave signal from the pilot/receiver. In comparison with previous radars, the weight reduction of the RBE2 is more than 30%. The RBE2 also includes support and connection devices for the OSF box (Optronics Frontal Sector) which is installed between the front and rear parts of the radar, which gives the OSF the best possible detection coverage. 3. The processing performs the following main functions: - signal processing; - information processing; The effort imposed on the volume of the RBE2, compared to the Mirage 2000 radars, is a reduction by a factor of 2 for the Pilot/Receiver-Transmitter-Processing assemblies: this objective has been achieved. JRBE For a level of heat dissipation of the same class as the previous radars, the constraints at component level are much more severe due to the drastic increase in the power density to be evacuated. This specification turned out to be the most restrictive. Compliance with it has required the study and development of very advanced technologies and integration processes, to solve all the problems, electrical, thermal and mechanical. Thus, all of the requirements, both functional and integration, have fixed the characteristics of the RBE2 hardware architecture, the developments to be carried out of the functions adapted to each situation, and thereby the methods and means to implement work for the design, production and development (illustration 1). To Illustration 1 The RBE2 on RAFALE at Istres (photo Dassault Aviation) NEW JOURNAL OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS N° 1-1996 RADAR «RBE2>> PLOT RECEIVER TREATMENT CASE PART Given the diversity of radar modes, a versatile architecture was chosen, the flexibility of which is characterized -by total processing programmability (no hard-wired processing outside of TFF); - by the use of unmarked processors - usable in all modes; - by using the floating format. STRUCTURE Furthermore, in order to give great flexibility to the programming of the modes, a limitation of the number of types of cards as well as the use of standard processors have been sought as a priority. RECEIVER DRIVE TREATMENT The 38 AND This processing has a computing power of approximately 1.4 billion operations per second, in a volume of 38 liters. This level of integration could only be obtained by using numerous ASICs (class 100,000 gates in sub-micronic technology), as well as by resorting to hybrid microelectronic technologies. of the J d Illustration 2 The subsets of F RBE2 radar, mounted on the Rafale (excluding Sector Optronics P The front set Frontal). (Doc GIE). The two-plane electronically scanned antenna uses the RADANT process. The union of two lenses of approximately 25,000 diodes each allows the beam to be depointed in the horizontal and green planes. This principle makes it possible to instantly reach any direction with great precision in a cone of 60° half-angle at the vertex (illustration L The transmitter R have been implemented: abandonment of oil to ensure EHV insulation in favor of pressurization by an inert gas, interchangeability of the three TOP sources with a minimum of adjustment adjustments, fiber optic links . The transmitter, with its spectral purity and power characteristics, makes an essential contribution to maintaining the performance of the RBE2. Compared to the previous generation, it delivers in a much wider microwave band, a much higher average power. d S P The treatment This antenna offers very high beam ag lity allowing ope mized space management: it has a very low level of secondary and diffuse lobes, excellent detection performance at very low altitude and increased efficiency in the presence of jamming. The Processing Unit comprises two essential processing units: - the PSP - Programmable Signal Processor which handles all the processing of the operating mode signal. It allows, among other things, the detection and measurement of air and sea targets (Air-Air, Combat and Air-Sea functions) as well as ground echoes in front of the aircraft (TBA and Air-Ground functions). For the TOP with coupled cavities, the development of which was carried out by three manufacturers, these performances, with satisfactory microwave efficiency, are at the border of what is currently available in series. in A Finally, to respond to requests for alleviation of maintenance constraints, new technical solutions Another element of progress, the cooling by cryogenic devices of the microwave receiver makes it possible to reduce the noise factor of the reception chain, thus increasing the range of the radar. NEW JOURNAL OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS N°1-1 FIRST VERTICAL SCAN RADANT LENS POLARIZATION ROTATOR ram- MICA fire control. The use of electronic scanning associated with the use of waveforms covering the whole range of fighter-target configurations has made it possible to optimize the compromise monitored domain/tracking quality. Illustration 5 explains the Air-Air functionalities in RDP mode. The independence of the detection and tracking modes, not accessible with mechanical scanning, has also made it possible to improve the multi-target capacities as well as the tracking lock-up logics. male between FIXED BEAM ANTENNA CASE ents bal res do- ites 00) BE of the NOT ure with: In RDP mode, electronic 2-plane scanning allows both great flexibility in managing the search volume, and a reduced time interval between the first detection and tracking. A little of Illustration 3 you are The principle of electronic scanning, RADANT (Doc GIE). Each tracked target is pointed at an appropriate rate and illumination time, depending on the waveform used, which is chosen automatically depending on the tactical situation and other criteria specific to the radar. Of- it is is The Air-Air function Shell an- Beam direction switching is instantaneous, regardless of direction. Thus, in all cases, the size and direction of the search volume are completely independent of the direction of the targets already being tracked. 39 In Air-Air, the RBE2 is the basic sensor of the Mica-Rafale fire control. To this end, it implements a mode that automatically detects and tracks aerial targets at long distances in all possible configurations (targets approaching or moving away, downwards or upwards). . The quality of the pursuits allows the provision of precise Target Designations (DO) to the In addition to its transparent nature to electromagnetic waves, the radome contributes to the aerodynamic performance and stealth of the Rafale thanks to its composite materials. of ns This as well with The block diagram of the RBE2 electronics is given in Figure 4. In addition, the RBE2 implements a data link with the MICA missiles for the purpose of refreshing the initial target designations. 0 FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE Reception Channels The RBE2 is the Rafale's main sensor. The versatility of the Rafale aircraft, from the fact that it is required to replace all the aircraft currently in service in the Air Force and in Naval Aviation, is in fact based to a large extent on the multiple functionalities offered by the RBE2. STRUC EX /R AIR Power Supply FRONT PART Exciter WE FOUND S Digital Receiver Management Channel and ANTENNA VIDEO It is PROCESS PSP START FOS Cryo Hyper Receiver AS UNITED BUS B2 The radar has at the same time the five basic functions of a modern radar, namely, an Air-Air function, a Combat function, a Flight at Very Low Altitude (TBA) function, an Air-Ground function and a Air-Sea function. r SPECTRA LINK PDP n SYNCHRO AVIONICS SYSTEM S Power Supply m -TREE-PHASE CURRENT TRANS Power BUS Beam Steering Computer Digital Management Test Switching Device Control Circuit Management COOL Guard Ants COOLANOL Supply In addition, thanks to the agility of the beam enabled by electronic scanning and its calculation speed, the RBE2 is capable of extended versatility, i.e. of placing (air-to-air interception and very low flight simultaneous work of several study functions, for example). TWT CRYOGENIC PRESSURIZATION Power Supply Illustration 4 The block diagram of the RBE2 electronics. (GIE document). specific raid analysis mode allows enemy targets to be counted in order to improve the level of information transmitted to the system and to the pilot. DOSS RESEARCH THE PROSECUTION 17 PROSECUTION IN THE VOLUME IA RESEARCH The Combat Function PROSECUTION LIAISONS MISSILE AIRPLANE PROSECUTION The RBE2 provides fast automatic acquisition and tracking of four highly scalable targets. Several acquisition patterns are available, depending on the location of the targets. The parameters of the targets being tracked are transmitted to the system for the implementation of the MAGIC 2, MICA-IR and Canon fire controls (illustration 6). MULTI-CHASES Illustration 5 The air-to-air functions of the RBE 2 radar: the distance search and tracking mode (Doc. GIE RDP EVALUATION PRIORITY LIST RAID ANALYSIS RADAR DOMAIN SMALL CONICAL DAMP PLAN DE SYMMETRIE The Very Low Altitude Function (TBA) GRAND CONICAL FIELD In this function, the RBE2 produces a three-dimensional map of the terrain in front of the aircraft (illustration 7). This map is used by the system as part of the very low altitude penetration function of the Rafale, whether in automatic terrain following mode (SDT-guidance in vertical plane) or in terrain avoidance mode (EVT -guidance in horizontal plane). Illustration 6 40 LARGE DEPOSIT The various modes of combat of the RBE 2 small conical field plane of symmetry - large field - large bearing (Doc GIE). The identification of obstacles with strong vertical development (such as pylons), the elimination of atmospheric echoes and numerous failure tests contribute to obtaining a high level of safety and performance. The Air-Ground Function The RBE2 implements all the modes necessary for the system requirements in Air-Ground missions (illustration 8): Air-Ground Telemetry (TAS) and refined ground mapping allowing Rafale navigation readjustments and the supply of target designations for the firing of Air-Ground weapons with maximum precision ; Illustration 7 The “very low altitude” (TBA) function: the radar produces a 3D map of the terrain in front of the aircraft (GIE Doc). High resolution ground mapping allowing, in addition to the functionalities of the refined ground mapping, to contribute to the precise identification of the objectives. anti-jamming nally, to the use of multiple waveforms and thanks to the specific processing implemented in each mode of operation, the RBE2 has foolproof electromagnetic jamming, in all its modes, the implementation and a robust in an environment of capabilities for identifying adversary countermeasures systems then, when c these and delays. The Air-Sea Function Countermeasures systems provide remote detection of transmitters and attempt, through combinations of jamming and decoys, to render firing lines ineffective. The RBE2 implements a mode ensuring the detection and tracking of ships at long range, thus allowing the Rafale to be able to fire anti-ship missiles from a safe distance. Thanks to the flexibility of electronic scanning, the quality of the ray diagram NEW JOURNAL OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS N°1-1996 will have been triggered, minimizes the inconvenience caused. CASE DEVELOPMENT The development of RBE2 is complex and requires the implementation of many techniques. To control all the aspects, it is necessary to resort to a rigorous method whose effectiveness of the tools is established. THAT ons air-r DMT 2: the mod blessed by experience. The process of industrial development Illustration 8 in distant TELESCOPE The RBE2: the “Air-Ground” function: modes SEE AFF. DOPPLER (Doc G a progressive approach, at the triel favors the course of which the control of the sensor itself is ensured in parallel with the s functional aspects. mastery of radars for navigation readjustment and ground target attack (GIE Doc). TAS TELEMETRIE AIR-SOL DMT DETECTION DE MOBILES TERRESTRES The problem of mastering a large number of techniques persists throughout development: - during the specification phases, the team electromagnetic energy, to emit signals, to receive them and to process them to deliver synthetic information. The sensor is made up of main sub-assemblies whose development involves numerous trades; - the development of functions, i.e. modes are developed, implemented and developed in the radar computer. A large number of CAD/CAM tools are required for the design of sub-assemblies: mechanical structures, antennas, microwave circuits, electronic boards, ASICs. For the software, the development workshops were carried out specifically for the project. responsible for the technical definition of the radar, in cooperation with the DGA, based on user needs. It must also model the many physical phenomena that are involved in the operation of the radar (propagation, target response, clutter, noise, etc.) in order to develop the technical specifications and guide the choices of architecture of the mate. - riel; 6 41 nts mode say radar modes implanted in the sensor, each of which performs a specific operational task: air/air surveillance, tracking, air-ground imagery, flight at very low altitude, air-sea detection. you RBE 2 conical mp The production tools must communicate with the design tools, to eliminate any break point in the flow of data defining the radar. This limits the risk of erroneous data and loss of time. metrics mp ement The development follows a progressive approach, where each stage must be validated before tackling the next one. Indeed, any backtracking in the definition of the radar is very penalizing in terms of costs and delays, due to the overlapping of the sub-assemblies. - during the design and construction phases, the project managers have to coordinate the trades, because of the interactions that exist between all the aspects of a radar: thermal, mechanical, electrical, electromagnetic, etc. , Validation of the radar begins first with the validation of the characteristics of the sensor itself, during which we ensure compliance with the mechanical, electrical, electromagnetic and thermal clauses for each sub-assembly and for the radar. integrated. - during the qualification phases, the technical teams must model and reproduce in the laboratory the multiple environmental conditions of reality. They must also take into account an increasingly sophisticated algorithm and large volumes of real-time software. The specification stage enables the architecture of the sensor and the functions to be defined, based on the operational need. It is based on theoretical models which make it possible to predict the performance of the radar, to specify its sub-assemblies and to dimension them. It is only then that we can gradually approach the functional qualification because it is practically impossible to test all the modes of a radar at once. This is why the planning of the functional validation tests must be organized to progress by operating states with increasing performance (incremental development). This makes it easier to identify any faulty functions. Processing validations are carried out in a real-time environment representative of the real radar environment; experience shows that it is possible to simulate on the ground behavior similar to that encountered in flight, limiting the adjustments to be made at the end of the flight. All of these constraints show that the development of a new airborne radar is a heavy operation. It only leads to success if those involved have implemented a rigorous method and appropriate tools at each phase of the project. very b The sub-assembly design stage uses modeling, implementation and analysis tools. Experience shows that these tools must form a coherent workshop for working on common data, and exchanging results. CHARM it's a 30 d simulation states. It is during this stage that we The general method of development introduces innovations that have been validated by models (an obligatory step for any technological development). The development of the RBE2 is based on two axes of effort which are pursued in parallel: - the development of the sensor, i.e. The step of producing the sensor consists of manufacturing the sub-assemblies, grouping them together and developing them. At the same time, the software for implementing the various of one hardware support capable of directing NEW JOURNAL OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS N° 1-1996 FILE Secondly, in-flight observation aims to identify and measure the in-flight performance of a radar condition. This testing and in particular the establishment of flight orders are the responsibility of the Flight Test Center. Once the observation phase has been successfully completed, which most often completes a contractual development stage, the radar status (hardware and software, identified in configuration management) can then be transferred to the Aircraft Manufacturer. One or more radar prototypes are integrated on the final carrier and on the navigation and attack system integration bench to participate in the development and fine-tuning of aircraft functions (air-to-air, air-to-ground fire control, terrain avoidance function, etc.) Figure 9 The dynamic simulator in an anechoic chamber with wall of shining points. (GIE document). 42 The means The logic of qualification and integration The optimized implementation of such a method requires significant resources, which have been put in place either by manufacturers, with the help of the DGA, or directly by the DGA (flight tests at the CEV At the end of the so-called "manufacturer" tests, the system is offered for acceptance to the customer. The observation phases take place in two stages: first, a characterization phase is conducted by CELAR on the ground on a prototype to identify the configuration The integration of the radar into the avionics system is facilitated if a functional pre-validation operation is carried out between functional design assistance: computer operating models for performance simulation and treatment design; software development and integration chain: software workshop going as far as multi-machine integration on a complete radar prototype; functional validation chain on the ground: global benches allowing the implementation of the radar on the ground, but also internal investigations in the event of anomalies, echo simulator, dynamic simulator in an anechoic chamber (illustration 9) with wall of bright points, all means used to save flight tests on aircraft test benches; - CEV test bench aircraft, consisting of two Mystère 20 (illustration 10) and a Mirage 2000 equipped with a Navigation and Test System representative of the Rafale, and equipped with recording means; ground processing and processing station; - industrial and CELAR qualification means. Figure 10 The RBE2 radar test bench aircraft: a Mystery 20 (CEV Doc). - retains significant development potential. - future operational needs and international competition, requires a permanent investment effort in terms of development tools and in coherence with the long capitalized experience. the Aircraft Manufacturer and the Bodybuilder: using a so-called functional pre-validation bench, the Bodybuilder validates with the Bodybuilder the dialogue and the System commands between the radar and the aircraft, the command sequences being provided by the Aircraft Manufacturer. Indeed, the hardware and software architecture of the RBE2 assembly has been sized to be able to accommodate all the functionalities planned for the three Rafale darts defined to date. It also includes provisions in terms of memory and computing capacity for new modes that the inevitable evolution of the operational context will make necessary. These efforts will enable better control of development costs and a reduction in production costs. WHERE ARE WE ? OUTLOOK References The experience acquired on the development of the RBE2 has clearly shown that the overall cost constraint - development, - industrialization, series - must be a basic factor taken into account as far upstream as possible. the [1] ROUSSEAU G. (Senior Weapons Engineer). RBE2: The Rafale radar, After six years of development work, the technical bets of the RBE2 have been won: the current industrialization phase will lead to the delivery of production radars from 1997. L'ARMEMENT n° 47-Mai-June 1995. [2] GILON B., SCHUMPERLI M. A current example: The RBE2 radar of the Rafale, Science and Defense 1996. This overall cost is directly linked to the initial requirement specifications that [3] PLANTIER B., CHABOD L. Control either in terms of functionalities/performance of the development of airborne radars: requirements or in terms of integration constraints with the carrier aircraft (volume, mass, thermal, etc.), as well as the maturity of the technologies used. Thanks to the major principles adopted, high-tech modular hardware, variety of operating modes, rigorous design and development methods, the RBE2: methods and tools, Science and Defense 1996. [4] MATHA J. The Rafale weapon system: versatility, flexibility, robustness. New Review of Aeronautics and Astronautics n° 2-1994, pp. 29 to 38. - meets Rafale integration requirements; 43 - allows for each operational situation, to have the best adapted solutions; Finally, it should be remembered that maintaining airborne radar development capabilities to meet the

 

[Furiz]

Listening to this makes wanna fly it in DCS  :

Some interesting stuff in there.

[Furiz]

Front sector optronics:

[Furiz]

Nice walk around with some cockpit info:

 

[SkateZilla]

On 2/27/2023 at 6:54 PM, Ashayar said:

It matters. As ED is not French, we may never have a Mirage 2000 in DCS... Oh wait!  

We dont have a Mirage 2000, we have a M-2000

as for the Rafale, the manuals are still classified... so not likely to happen any time soon.

Edited March 23 by SkateZilla

[Furiz]

Rafale assembly, interesting to watch: