User:AirCraft/European fighter comparison

These three are European fighters. As they compete, what are their specific strengths and weaknesses?

General presentation of the aircraft

History

Four European countries (France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom) have tried to produce a future air dominance fighter aircraft. But two projects emerged, named "Eurofighter Typhoon" for the three latter countries and "Rafale" (French pronunciation: [ʁafal], squall) for France.

In 1979, Sweden began development studies for an aircraft (later named "Gripen") capable of fighter, attack and reconnaissance (J, A, S in Swedish) missions to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen.

Main caracteristics

All the information in this table come from WP pages about the Gripen, Rafale and Typhoon fighters.

	Gripen	Rafale	Typhoon
Crew land-based variants	C: 1 D: 2	C: 1 B: 2	1 2 (training)
Crew carrier variant	-	M: 1	-
Engine	GE F404-derived Volvo-Flygmotor RM12	Snecma M88-2	Eurojet EJ200
number	1	2	2

Gripen

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. The Gripen features delta wings and canards, as well as relaxed stability design and fly-by-wire technology.

Comments (to be completed and / or refined, of course!)

Despite its small size, the JAS 39 Gripen is a true multi-role aircraft, carrying all electronics required for every mission. Thus a single aircraft replaced the Viggen in all its versions. The JAS 39 the lightest new generation fighters for the late '90s

The JAS 39 is truly a multi-role aircraft in every sense of the word. Configuring the aircraft for fighter, attack, or recce mission types is done simply by modifying the onboard computer software and related systems. In fact, just pushing a button inside the cockpit.

Gripen offers high agility, advanced target acquisition systems – including a powerful multi-role radar, modern weapons, low environmental signatures and a comprehensive electronic warfare (EW) suite. The JAS 39 Gripen system is designed to counter all current and future threats. The operation cost of the JAS 39 Gripen is lowest of all modern fighters, 70% lower compared with the Rafale.

An important factor when offering the Gripen for export is the aircraft missile system. Currently, the Gripens used by the Swedish Air Force are armed with AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9 Sidewinder, Meteor (dual link for Gripen, single link will be available for Rafale sometime after 2018, no plans for dual link on Rafale), IRIS-T, the Saab Dynamics RBS 15 for ship targets, and the Maverick ground attack missile, and some GBU. Saab Dynamics cooperates with the major European missile manufacturers in the development of new air-to-air missiles for the Eurofighter, the Rafale and the Gripen. The two main projects currently underway are the Meteor and the IRIS-T. The Meteor is a radar-guided, medium range (10–120 km) air-to-air missile, which will compete with future versions of the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM. The Meteor program features Matra BAe Dynamics, Saab Dynamics, Alenia Difesa, Marconi and German LFK. The IRIS-T is an IR-guided, short-range air-to-air missile, primarily funded by Germany for the Eurofighter. The project group includes Bodenseewerk Geratechnik and Saab Dynamics.

Rafale

The Rafale is a French twin-engine delta-wing multi-role jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. It is called an omni-role fighter by its manufacturer.

Comments (to be refined, of course !, and completed)

France rejected the European EFA as too heavy for carrier use and too costly for export. Rafale is also a canarded delta, but has less angular lines than EFA. Extensive use was made of composite materials. The Rafale is lighter and smaller than the Eurofighter.

Unlike the Gripen and the Typhoon, the Rafale is an entirely national program with all-new, French-developed airframe, propulsion, avionics, and weapons (No NATO weapons). The only way to render such a program "affordable", given the size of the French armed forces, was to designate the Rafale as the replacement for every combat aircraft in service, from the Navy's ancient Vought F-8E(FN) Crusaders to the Air Force's Mirage IVP strategic reconnaissance aircraft.

The Dassault Rafale is a relatively small airplane, though bigger than Gripen and with higher RCS than Gripen, (it does not need folding wings to fit on a carrier) that carries a very heavy load. Without fuel or weapons, a Rafale weighs some 3,000 pounds more than a F-16C, but it can take off 10,000 pounds heavier. This allows the Rafale to carry as much as 21,000 pounds of external stores in addition to 9,000 pounds of internal fuel. With twin conformal fuel tanks holding a total of 600 US gallons of fuel - designed and flight-tested by Dassault during its campaign to win Korea's fighter contest - the Rafale can perform a 1,000-nm-radius strike mission, carrying both heavy air-to-surface weapons and air-to-air missiles.

The Thales RBE2 radar is of the passive electronically-scanned-array (ESA) type, like the B-1's Northrop Grumman APQ-164, with a single power source, transmitter, receiver, and a physically fixed array of phase-shifter modules to steer the beam. The radar has a single beam - unlike the active ESA used on the F-22 and JSF - but it can be pointed instantly in any direction so that it can use a wide variety of interleaved modes. Dassault describes it as the difference between "track while scan" and "track here while scan there." For example, the RBE2 can readily track airborne targets while searching for a target on the ground or providing a ground profile for terrain-following flight.

The passive ESA sacrifices range and sensitivity compared with an active array or the modern mechanically scanned radars used on the Gripen and Typhoon. However, according to Dassault, the passive array was chosen for the initial versions, because the customer wanted the ability to interleave different modes, and the active array was far from mature. Also, the French Air Force operates AWACS early-warning aircraft, and the Navy has E-2C Hawkeyes, with the result that extreme detection range is less important.

The radar is backed up by optical and passive electronic-detection systems. Located immediately behind the radar is the front-sector optronic (FSO) system, produced by Thales. The FSO has two optical heads. On the right is a long-range infrared search and track (IRST), operating in the long-wave IR band, which detects point IR sources over a wide field of view. On the left is a combat-identification sensor, which combines an imaging sensor (daylight video on the prototype and mid-wave IR in production aircraft) and a laser rangefinder. It can track a single target in the front sector and display an enlarged image in the cockpit, and is normally aimed automatically at the most threatening target. If the rules of engagement require visual identification, the Rafale pilot can declare a target as hostile well outside normal visual range.

Information from the Spectra EW suite, the radar, and the OSF are brought together through modular mission computers and presented to the pilot and back-seater via a modern cockpit with 160 square inches of active display space - a close second to the 180 square inches on the larger F-22 and rather more than the Typhoon.

The Rafale cockpit hardware includes a number of unusual or unique features. The large central screen, which normally hosts the main tactical-situation display, is collimated at infinity. The physical optics of the "head-level display" (HLD) are designed so that the top of the HLD is directly below the head-up display (HUD). (On most other fighters, there is a small up-front control panel under the HUD and above the main central display.) Imagery from the identification sensor can be displayed on a window in the HLD. This system allows the pilot to switch from the short-term HUD view to the larger tactical picture without refocusing his eyes or dropping his gaze below the head-up display (HUD).

Contrary to US or other European practice, the Rafale cockpit uses touch-screen panels. The 6-x-6-in. screens on either side of the HLD are touch-sensitive, and there is a touch-control cursor panel beneath the HLD. One advantage of touch-screen is that it provides more glass area in the same space by eliminating the ring of bezel switches around each screen. The Rafale pilot will be issued special silk-lined leather gloves, with no stitching on the fingertips, and a chamois insert, for wiping the screens, above the fingers.

The entire fighter is highly automated, with a single all-electric throttle for both engines and a single start switch. A direct-voice-input (DVI) system is incorporated, with a 50-300-word vocabulary, and Sextant's Topsight helmet-mounted display will be incorporated from the mid-2000s.

The fused tactical display is reminiscent of the F-22's, with a "god's-eye" view of the battle replacing separate sensor displays. Different colors and shapes are used to distinguish hostiles from friendlies, and targets are automatically prioritized. Complementing the god's-eye view is an inset display which shows the relative altitude of the Rafale and its targets.

In early 2001, the Rafale International team (Dassault, Snecma, and Thales) committed to the development of an active AESA (AESA) for the Thales RBE2 radar and the uprated M88-3 engine, both of which will be ready for the F3/Block 10 version in 2006. The AESA will be based on technology developed under the Thales/BAE Airborne Multi-mode Solid-state Active-array Radar (AMSAR) program, and will provide greater range and reliability than the passive ESA on the early Rafale. It will be able to be retrofitted to existing aircraft. Another feature introduced with the Block 3 will be a high-resolution synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) mode for use with GPS/inertially guided weapons.

Another F3/Block 10 feature is the Thales Recce NG (new generation) reconnaissance pod, now under development and being offered for export. Recce NG is a near-real-time system that incorporates the pod and a complete ground segment, including mission planning, a mobile ground terminal, and an exploitation station. With a rotating head, visible and IR focal-plane arrays and a high-speed IR scanner, the Recce NG pod covers night and day reconnaissance from both high and low altitudes.

The Rafale EW suite, known as Spectra, is one of the most powerful systems installed on a fighter aircraft and is intimately associated with the unique approach to stealth and survivability designed into the Rafale. Dassault executives describe the Rafale as discreet rather than being stealthy in the sense of a F-22. To avoid detection, it combines avionics, tactics, and reduced radar reflectivity with some techniques that have not been directly revealed and are apparently unique.

The first element of discretion is that Spectra's receiver system and the FSO help detect and track targets without using radar. Spectra incorporates a radio-frequency (RF) detection system, a missile-approach warning sensor, and a laser-warning system and provides full 360-degrees coverage. The RF detection subsystem uses prominent square-section antennas, mounted on the lower corners of the engine inlets and in the rear of the fin-top pod, covering 120 degrees each. The receiver antennas use interferometric techniques to measure a signal's angle of arrival within less than 1 degree and are designed so that they do not have a large radar-cross-section (RCS) contribution.

Typhoon

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems.

Comments (to be completed and / or refined, of course !)

It was initially designed for air-superiority and air defense roles, but a changing world situation has also resulted in an emphasis on excellent air-to-surface capabilities as well.

Although it's not actually a stealth aircraft, careful shaping and use of composites and low-detectability technologies (the airframe surface is only 15 % metal) means the Eurofighter is extremely light and has a much smaller radar profile than 1980s-era fighters.

Analysts generally agree that the only fighter with a demonstrable superiority to the Eurofighter is the American F-22, which costs twice as much and doesn't have the EF2000's air-to-surface capability

The Eurofighter is a canard equipped delta aircraft optimized for the air-superiority role but able to be used for ground attack. Like the Gripen and Rafale the EF2000 uses canards and a broad delta wing to get the best combination of agility, lift, and speed.

The Eurofighter carries NATO's best weapons. It has a high load Capacity with flexible missile configurations. It has thirteen carriage points, three of which are capable of holding external fuel tanks. The maximum fuel or weapons payload is 6,500 kg (14,330 lb.). A mixture of at least ten ASRAAMs (advanced short range air-to-air missiles) and AMRAAM (advanced medium range air-to-air missiles) can be carried with four of the AMRAAMs housed in low drag, low observability fuselage stations. A wide variety of air-to-surface weapons can be carried on seven stations, including avionics stores such as laser designators.

Table

(All the information in this table come from WP pages about the Gripen, Rafale and Typhoon fighters, otherwise the reference is given.)

	Gripen	Rafale	Typhoon
empty weight	6,800 kg[147] (12,600 lb)	9,500 kg (C), 9,770 kg (B)	11,150 kg (24,600 lb)
loaded weight	8,500 kg (18,700 lb)	14,016 kg (30,900 lb)	16,000 kg[221][222] (35,000 lb)
payload	5,300 kg	(10,500 kg)	(7,500 kg)
max takeoff weight	14,000 kg (31,000 lb)	24,500 kg (C/D)	23,500 kg (52,000 lb)
dry thrust	54 kN (12,100 lbf)	2 x 50.04 kN (11,250 lbf) each	2 x 60 kN (13,000 lbf) each
with afterburner	80.5 kN (18,100 lbf)	2 x 75.62 kN (17,000 lbf) each	2 x 89 kN (20,000 lbf)
thrust/weight	0.97	1.10 (100% fuel, 2 EM A2A missile, 2 IR A2A missile)	1.15
rate of climb	classified	304.8+ m/s (60,000+ ft/min)	>315 m/s[230][231] (62,000 ft/min[232])
service ceiling	15,240 m (50,000 ft)	16,800 m (55,000 ft)	19,810 m[229] (64,990 ft)
wing area	30.0 m² (323 ft²)	45.7 m² (492 ft²)	51.2 m2[221] (551 sq ft)
wing loading	283 kg/m² (58 lb/ft²)	306 kg/m² (62.8 lb/ft²)	312 kg/m2[221] (64.0 lb/ft2)
G-limits	9/-3.0	+9.0/-3.2	+9/−3 g[233]
combat radius	800 km (500 mi, 432 nmi)	1,852+ km (1,000+ nmi) on penetration mission	Ground attack, lo-lo-lo: 601 km (325 nmi) Ground attack, hi-lo-hi: 1,389 km (750 nmi) Air defence with 3-hr combat air patrol: 185 km (100 nmi) Air defence with 10-min. loiter: 1,389 km (750 nmi) [221][228]

Weapons Systems

• Gripen:

8 hardpoints allow it to carry various bombs and missiles, + 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon

• Rafale

14 hardpoints (13 on the carrier version (rafale M))including 5 spots for external fuel tanks, + 30mm Giat 30 M791 B cannon

• Eurofighter

12 hardpoints including 3 spots for external fuel tanks, + 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon

Discussion

Rafale vs EF (synthesis to be done)

Based on reports, or analyses from journalists, or IAF officials.

The wining MMRCA has to be a multi role aircraft,…

1. that is equally good in A2A and A2G roles – Advantage Rafale (designed for balanced multi role capabilities, while it's only a secondary aim of EF design)
2. that is highly versatile to fulfill a wide range of missions – Advantage Rafale (the aim was to replace 7 different fighters in their roles and this is already proven in combat!)
3. that has a low RCS, high maximum speed, long range sensor and weapons, as well as a sophisticated EWS for C-AISR missions – Advantage Rafale (much lower RCS (0,2 m² vs 1,5 m²), greater EWS suit, greater radar (RBE2 AESA))
4. that has a variety of PGMs and standoff weapons – Advantage Rafale (laser, GPS and IR guided PGMs, as well as Scalp cruise missile. Integrated, ready and proven.)
5. that will takeover the main strike role in IAF from older ground attack fighters – Advantage Rafale (all said before)
6. that offers advanced radars with A2G modes, LDPs, superior EWS that enable the fighter to enter the an airspace with a dense SAM threat and is able to fulfill the strike attack in the first pass over – Advantage Rafale (although radar modes might need some improvements, SPECTRA EWS is a big advantage here and the integrated Damocles pod on a dedicated pod station adds even more. The biggest advantage though is that it can attack up to 6 different ground targets in 1 pass over with the AASM and according AFAIK IAF was impressed by this capability during the trials as well!)
7. that offers highly capable direct attack and standoff weapons, for deep penetration strike missions, but not neccesarily dedicated SEAD weapons – Advantage Rafale (AASM is even more capable then the US JDAM, that could be integrated into EF in future, both fighters offer the same cruise missiles, but with different names)
8. that still offers the high maneuverability that IAF requires for the A2A role – Tie (both are highly maneuverable with the delta canard design, but dogfight engagement between French air force and RAF give Rafale winner 7–1)
9. that can offer a maritime attack capability for the future – Advantage Rafale (already available with Exocet, EF won't have it, because no customer wants it so far and even the radar is said to have no air to sea mode. Both can be added, but requirers further fundings from us)

Results:

• Rafale: 7
• EF: 0
• Tie: 2

1. the MMRCA should have sea-level static thrust-to-weight ration of 1:1 or better with maximum afterburner – Advantage EF (both have TWRs above 1, but EF is better)
2. should be able to carry an external load of at least 5000 kg (comprising air-to-air and air-to ground weapons) – Advantage Rafale (both can carry more than required, but Rafales has 2t more payload and the design is more suited for higher loads)
3. fly for a minimum eight hours with air-to-air refueling – Advantage Rafale (both fulfill the requirement, but if high endurance patrol, or deep penetration missision, comparable to MKI, is the aim, Rafale is more suited with the operational twin seat version and not only a twin seat trainer.)
4. should be a 9G aircraft, Tie
5. the twin-seat trainer should be exactly like the single-seat fighter – Advantage Rafale (EFs twin seat version fulfills the requirements, but is mainly used as a trainer only, while Rafales twin seat version is in operational service, especially in the strike roles).

Results:

• Rafale: 3
• EF: 1
• Tie: 1

Apart from the technological attributes, versatility and operational capability of the machine, they need to bear in mind a number of other important factors such as:

1) assurance of long-term logistic support - Advantage Rafale (Europeans are known in India for quality products and good after sale supports, be it Mirage 2000s, Jaguars, Eurocopter helicopters, or German subs, all with clearly less technical problems and without spare supply issues like Russian counterparts. But the official reports from England about canibalisations of EFs and limited training time for pilots caused by several problems in the spare supply should be a major concern for Indian forces, especially with the recent issue of the BAE Hawk trainer and not supplied toolings)

2) problems of integration with the IAF inventory - Advantage Rafale (there are a few weapons on Jags, that could be used with EF as well, but the the Rafale is based on the Mirage 2000 and shares the full weapon pack and several avionics with it, more over the maintenance routines are based on Mirage as well, which makes it easier for the ground crews as well)

3) technological gains for the Indian aerospace industry - Tie (EFs offer of ToT is very good and the partnership offer gives indian companies the chance to be involved in a big foreign project, which will improve their capabilities. Rafales offer will be very good in ToT as well and the French companies have the advantage of already beeing involved in several JV, co-developments with the Indian industry...)

4) sanctions and denial regimes - Advantage Rafale (all main techs are developed by French companies, no major components comes from the US and can be sanctioned, France has proven to be reliable in the past sanctions, was the first who supported accepted us an official nuclear power and supported us for a permanent UNC seat. French government cleared ToT and no EUM for the Rafale from the start and Dassault was the first who offered radar source codes and full ToT of the radar. Is there anything left how they could prove their reliability to us?

5) financial implications and the nuances of the political dimension - Advantage Rafale (In terms of costs of the deal, the Rafale should have an advantage, it's unit cost is already lower and the EF T3 B requires further fundings of upgrades, that to make it equally capable. With UK as a veto power and Germany as one of the most influential countries in Europe they have a lot o offer on the political side, the problem is their close relation to the US. France on the other hands remained to be an independent country although they are a NATO member and showed in the Libyan conflict how influential they can be, especially by the fact that Qatar and the UAE was ready to send (mainly French) fighters. So although it is only 1 country, the political point is strong and only the US could offer more here from the western countries.

Results:

Rafale - 4 EF - 0 Tie - 1

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• Other source :

Both the aircraft boasts about sensor fusion technologies however they excel in capabilities in some aspects over the other. Typhoon holds significantly more air to air capabilities than the Rafale since it currently has a higher performance engine with the future development and integration of the TVC (Thrust Vector Control) nozzles this is only going to get better. The Typhoon also is more maneuverable than the Rafale thanks to its aerodynamically unstable design and delta-canards.

Rafale on the other hand is like they say a true “omni-role”, (read multi-role) fighter it has better air to ground attack capabilities than the Typhoon and is capable of holding on its own against an other fighter. Both these fighters are equipped with AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar’s. The Rafale is already in active duty with the French Navy while the Typhoon on the other hand is yet to do so although a plan for the development of a naval Typhoon is underway.

Both these fighter are state of the art and are more than capable of dealing with what the adversaries might throw against the Indian Air Force in the future although it’s pretty difficult to say even now which air craft the IAF might go for and comparatively both these aircraft are so alike in operational aspects so the selling point might come in the form of additional package on offer with these fighters.

Sales, export

• Gripen : More than 264 Gripens have been delivered or ordered as of 2011.