Just a quick one,

 

If anyone does NOT think bluewings is an idiot please state the reasons why below.

 

I will be interested to see the response.

Reactive :

The Thalès video is also showing a lot of things , the most important one being the sensor fusion which I believe is more advanced than anything currently flying operationally . The F-22 tranche 30 doesn 't have 60% of the stuff found on Rafale like mini IRSTs (Mica IR) , FSO , long range TV cam , top ECM suite , passive firing , etc ...

 

I 've said many times that the actual lack of a real IRST  was not such a problem because the IR Micas are used as IRSTs up to 35km which is better than nothing . The seekers can search by themselves and show to the pilot what they see on two of the side displays . This allowed Dassault 's funding to go for an even better optical long range TV cam with a quoted range of over 100km . When you think about it , it is a very clever choice . Watching on TV what the opposition is doing 100km away gives you a huge advantage in situation awareness , and it is totally passive and undetectable .

 

Again , I am sorry to say but I do not know any other aircraft who has such means , not even the Typhoon , not even the Gripen , not even the F-22 , not even the latest SU . I am not bashing any other aircraft , I am just putting forwards facts about the Rafale . 

I am not saying that the Rafale is the best thing after sliced bread , just that the Jet is very capable .

 

Then , if SPECTRA can help the Pilot to fire a Meteor passively at long range you can imagine how the enemy pilot is going to sweat ...

 

Cheers .

"Again , I am sorry to say but I do not know any other aircraft who has such means , not even the Typhoon , not even the Gripen , not even the F-22 , not even the latest SU"

 

Just about any aircraft that can mount a FLIR targeting pod, from the Su-24 to the Shornet, has a similar capability ;)

Beryoza :

To be perfectly honest , only the F-35 (if it is as good as promised and if it flies) will match the Rafale as it is now .

Of course , what the Rafale F4+ will be by 2015 is a different story ;-)

 

Cheers .

""TV cameras are also useful, but FLIRs are more flexible.""

 

Of course ! In bad weather , using a long range IR device is better than to use a TV cam ;-)

But the weather is more often than not usually good at 16800m .

 

Cheers .

""when you say "match", are you refering to imaging/visual detection capabilities ?""

 

Yes but not only . Surely , the F-35 has a better AESA radar and a powerfull ECM suite as well as a very good LO management but the Rafale can cancel the F-35 's range edge with its long range passive detection . Rafale will detect (listen) the F-35 before or at the same time than the F-35 will detect the Dassault Fighter .

From there on , the fight begins and the gloves are off . With SPECTRA and Meteor + IR Mica , my bet is on the Rafale .

 

Cheers .

 

 

""FLIRs are also quite useful at night.......  ""

 

That 's correct , I understand ;-)

 

Cheers .

BW, as it has already pointed out, FLIRs/TV cams need to be slaved by another sensor in order to be useful. You could theoretically use SPECTRA for this but, until they're close enough for the LRF to be of any use, they cannot be used to generate a solution for missile launch.

 

Or you could try slaving the FLIR and receive range data via third party targeting, but this would be of very limited effectiveness against a stealthy target backed up by a capable ECM suite (ie F-35).

""BW, as it has already pointed out, FLIRs/TV cams need to be slaved by another sensor in order to be useful. You could theoretically use SPECTRA for this""

 

Indeed we do since the F2 .