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Latin
aero
Number 4 - 2012
As spells out General Rode:
“As the new ra-
dar is of the “plug-and-play” type, there will
be no problem in operating at squadron le-
vel both the old and the new types of RBE2
radars, PESA and AESA. Furthermore since
all Rafales now use the NATO Link 16 tactical
data exchange network, all aircraft engaged
in an aerial operation will thus beneft from
the “big picture” painted by those Rafales
ftted with the RBE2 AESA.”
With Link 16, all
Rafales as well as Mirage 2000s may ex-
change today their “tactical picture” secu-
rely in near-real time. The frequency range
used by Link 16 today limits the exchange
of information between aircraft within
line-of-sight (LOS) of one another, but this
is not considered a major issue in current
military operations. especially since tac-
tical staging of fghter aircraft is always
performed within the detection range of
a Boeing E-3F AWACS, and now that new
developments are brewing, based on the
extended use of UHF SatCom.
A smarter and much better radar
An active electronically scanned array
(AESA) radar, also known as "active phased
array" radar, is a type of radar whose trans-
mitter and receiver functions are com-
posed of numerous independent solid-
state transmitter and receiver modules
(TRMs) and which does away with the
traditional hydraulic steerable antenna
needing high electric power. Other com-
ponents include an advanced receiver/
exciter, ruggedised COTS processors, and
power supplies. AESA radars simply aim
their "beam" by emitting separate radio
waves from eachmodule at certain angles
which form a virtual sheaf in front of the
antenna. Such type of radar further im-
proves on the older passive electronically
scanned (PESA) radars by spreading signal
emissions out across a much larger band
of frequencies, which makes it therefore
very difcult to detect over background
noise and clutter. As such a Rafale with
AESA radar will be able to broadcast
powerful radar signals to detect enemy
aircraft or surface targets, all the while still
remaining very stealthy. A clear advan-
tage in modern combat. Not to mention
the complete “electronic cloak” provided
by the Rafale's Thales Spectra ECM suite,
which remains without equivalent in the
world today, so it says in France.
Uma impressionante concepção artística mos-
trando um Rafale M da Flottille 12F da Marinha
Francesa armado com o míssil antinanvio MBDA
Exocet AM39 no seu caminho para um alvo. Uma
das características do Rafale é sua capacidade de
voar muito baixo e em alta velocidade.
A striking illustration showing a Rafale M of Flot-
tille 12F armed with a MBDA Exocet AM39 antiship
missile on its way to a target. One of the
Rafale's characteristics is to be able to fly in
the nap of the earth at very high speed. ©
R. Hugault/Dassault Aviation
With the assignment of Rafale C-137,
on an intensive test campaign due to end
during the summer of 2014, the CEAMwill
be able to tackle a whole new world of
systems, because on this latest standard
Rafale, not only is the radar new… but
also other hi-tech systems like the DDM-
NG devised by MBDA or the OSF-IT long-
range optical passive identifcation sensor
fromThales.
The DDM-NG (
Détecteur de missile de
nouvelle génération
) demonstrated its
high value some three years ago when
a prototype DDM-NG began a trial cam-
paign fying on-board the Rafale during
the summer 2009 at the DGA’s test fight
centre in Cazaux. Achieved on schedule,
this frst series of fight trials produced very
convincing results. As a consequence, the
DGA has ordered this new system as stan-
dard ft for the 60 supplemental Tranche
4 Rafale aircraft ordered by France in De-
cember 2009 for delivery next year.
As explains a DGA pilot:
“The concept
behind the DDM-NG is the ability to detect
incoming attacking missiles from any di-
rection and angle of attack with regard to
the host aircraft. It will supersede the current
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