PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Rafale wins Indian order
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Old 1st Feb 2012, 10:40
  #40 (permalink)  
Jackonicko
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
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Typhoon's credibility is certainly less obvious than Rafale's.

Typhoon's AESA radar programme looks shaky and uncertain.

The roadmap to air-to-ground capabilities (save the UK Austere A-G capability on its Tranche 1 jets) is not much better.

EF GmbH are still making a big deal about P1E (which will/should get Litening 3 and PW4 onto the jet this year), while the Rafale has LGBs and an LDP integrated on all standards of jet, plus Scalp (a Storm Shadow equivalent), the fabulous stand-off AASM Hammer, a recce pod, and Exocet, and the French aircraft have ASMP - a nuclear stand off missile.

And the four nations are still arguing about the order of integrations and upgrades post P1E, when we should have the vision to get them done ASAP, unless we want to lose more potential export sales.

I can't really blame the Indians for opting for a (combat-) proven Rafale over a Typhoon, many of whose essential capabilities remain little more than optimistic hopes.
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