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Rafale Strike Version Enters Operation With French Air Force
Aviation Week And Space Technology ^ | 07/02/2006 11:22:38 PM | By Michael A. Taverna

Posted on 07/07/2006 3:50:07 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki

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1 posted on 07/07/2006 3:50:16 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: Oztrich Boy; Paleo Conservative; Tommyjo; garbageseeker; Gengis Khan; CarrotAndStick

Ping!!!!


2 posted on 07/07/2006 3:51:11 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: sukhoi-30mki
I remember how the Eurofighter was supposed to be this cool air superiority weapon rivaling the best that America could produce.

They didn't finish theirs.

Our F22's and F35's are amazing.


3 posted on 07/07/2006 3:56:19 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Proudly Posting Without Reading the Article Since 1999 !!!)
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To: sukhoi-30mki
"1,000-fps. climb capability"

Is that all? (/sarcasm). Most airplanes won't do that going down!

4 posted on 07/07/2006 3:56:44 AM PDT by GBA
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To: sukhoi-30mki

does it come with a white flag?


5 posted on 07/07/2006 4:14:24 AM PDT by joe fonebone (Time to bring back tar and feathering.)
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To: sukhoi-30mki
Looks very similar to an F-16 ?????
6 posted on 07/07/2006 4:22:19 AM PDT by IrishMike (Democrats .... Stuck on Stupid, RINO's ...the most vicious judas goats)
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To: IrishMike

It's twin-engined & has a higher external payload.


7 posted on 07/07/2006 4:25:19 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: sukhoi-30mki
an open architecture permitting use of foreign weapon systems,

It must have really galled the French to have to do that.

8 posted on 07/07/2006 4:26:59 AM PDT by Tom Bombadil
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To: Tom Bombadil

Actually everyone allows for that incl.the US & the Russians.


9 posted on 07/07/2006 4:28:11 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: Lazamataz

'I remember how the Eurofighter was supposed to be this cool air superiority weapon rivaling the best that America could produce.
They didn't finish theirs.

Our F22's and F35's are amazing.'

What's the Typhoon got to do with the Rafale?

As for 'Our' F35, well Britain is a 20% tier 1 partner responsible for the tailplane, fuel systems, crew escape, PHM systems, all Electronic warfare systems, the VMC and communication, navigation and ident systems and the EOTS laser systems. Oh, and those nice Rolls-Royce engines in your picture!

Other partners include Italy, Holland, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Israel and Singapore. And don't forget good old Islamic Turkey! :D


10 posted on 07/07/2006 4:28:41 AM PDT by Vectorian
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To: Vectorian

Actually France was part of the EF consortium till about the mid-80s but withdrew due to differences in requirements as well as political wrangling.


11 posted on 07/07/2006 4:31:07 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: Vectorian
Yes, but your 20% input didn't save you from the Nazis.

WE saved you from the Nazis.

Lend-Lease, anyone? ;^)

12 posted on 07/07/2006 4:35:07 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Proudly Posting Without Reading the Article Since 1999 !!!)
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To: Vectorian

Errr... and I suspect you are 0% responsible for the F-22. :^D


13 posted on 07/07/2006 4:35:37 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Proudly Posting Without Reading the Article Since 1999 !!!)
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To: sukhoi-30mki

14 posted on 07/07/2006 4:39:37 AM PDT by monkapotamus
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To: Lazamataz

I thought the F-35 was not fielded yet ... but it might be me.

EF and rafale are not ment to rival the F-22 - since its assigned to a different role.

Eurofighter is a capable platform but cannot outperform the F-22 in anything but external load and turning capability. The F-35 certainly will neither. Rafalle is a way less capable and way less expensive airplane then the EF.

AESA capability still lacking in rafale as well as eurofighter makes them a whole class inferior - but EF excells with magnificient aerodynamic performance (can outturn an F-22) and supercruise capabilities (slower than F-22 but the only plane second to the F22 at all capable to do so)

AESA shall be added in the future but military projects have a legendary record of beeing delayed and over budget. (see F-35 - new method of budget controll)

A special topic is stealth.

Stealth is just a word for obscuring the plane to sensors like radar and IR, so it's not like a plane is either stealth or not. It's the question who could detect, locate identify it with what effort.

Modern Radar (like the on in the F-22) is very well capable of tracking an object like the F-35 over hundreds of kilometers. The F-22 is not so easy to detect, but far from invisible.

Given the rapid advances in semiconductor and software tech. it's only a matter of a small number of years time until the chineese (e.g.) will be able to control larger airspaces for planes like the F-35 and probably the F-22.

EF and Rafale are much easier to detect (somewhat stealtheir then an F-18 - depending on the angle or typ of radar)

Therefore it's discussed that the F-22 and the F-35 will have to be replaced in many mission profiles by UAVs which can be designed even stealthier and don't mean the loss of an (expensively trained) pilot.

F-35s apeal is it modularity, maintainablity and total cost of ownership. Nations will buy it because the folks on the buyers list where promised work packages in engineering and production. A multicultural fighter so to say.


15 posted on 07/07/2006 4:40:06 AM PDT by Rummenigge
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To: Lazamataz

you really fought in WWII ?

Respect for your ability with new media old man ;-)

You must be well in your 80s by now.


16 posted on 07/07/2006 4:44:19 AM PDT by Rummenigge
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To: Rummenigge
All this talk of fighter aircraft is well and good, but.....

.....do you have Elven wizards deployed that can throw fireballs?

America does.

17 posted on 07/07/2006 4:47:02 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Proudly Posting Without Reading the Article Since 1999 !!!)
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To: Lazamataz

The avionic display system is the same as in the eurofighter - made by BAE.

Thrust vectoring was engineered in a cooperation with german DASA (you - money and proving grounds - we engineers) in the 80s.

That's all I know of, but there may be more.

Welcome to the web of defense tech.


18 posted on 07/07/2006 4:48:02 AM PDT by Rummenigge
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To: Lazamataz

Pff her hairdo was done by a european hair stylist (looks like victoria beckham)


19 posted on 07/07/2006 4:48:58 AM PDT by Rummenigge
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To: monkapotamus
Good L-rd.

That fighter is being piloted by a cheese-eating surrender-monkey!

Sacre bleu!

20 posted on 07/07/2006 5:06:08 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Proudly Posting Without Reading the Article Since 1999 !!!)
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