Tidligere i år kom det frem at Eurofighter vil utvikles i forskjellige retninger, og hvor UK går sin egen vei. Nå foreligger spennede informasjon om radar som UK velger. De andre satser på Captor-E AESA, men UK velger sin egen som ser spennende ut.
On 3 September 2020, UK Defence Minister Jeremy Quin announced that a £317 million contract had been signed covering the integration of a new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA or E-Scan) radar on the Typhoon, to meet RAF Requirements. De kaller den ECRS Mk 2, og tror dette kan være positivt for valget Finland skal ta.
The ECRS Mk 2 also has a completely new processor, a new receiver, a dedicated EW receiver and techniques generator, and a completely different system for the antenna repositioner, using a single rotating joint, rather than the double swashplate arrangement of Captor-E. The aircraft will even feature a new radome to support the wide bandwidth that comes with ECRS Mk 2.
The Typhoon’s relatively wide nose allows it to accommodate a large radar dish, and this in turn allows a large number of transmit-receive modules (TRMs). Leonardo claim that ECRS Mk 2 has significantly more Transmit-Receive Elements than other radars. Because a large dish with a large number of transmit receive modules makes for a narrow beam, this means that ECRS Mk 2 will have focused power, and since the Typhoon provides all of the electrical power and cooling that is needed, it will have the ability to generate some exceptionally high-powered, focused electronic attack, but also great sensitivity allowing unparalleled passive detection and a very long reach.
The ECRS Mk 2 radar makes use of both Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) semi-conductors within its array, blending the strengths of the different technologies to cost effectively provide a differentiating military capability.
Skal vi tro på dette vil kanskje Typhon få verdens beste kampflyradar, men det er fortsatt mye som gjør at Typhon er et ganske usannsynlig valg for Finland.
Andre ting som må gjøres med Eurofighter/Typhon er oppgradering av interne nettverk, mye bedre datamaskiner, bedre sensor fusion, oppdatert EW system og data linker. På disse områdene ligger de langt bak både Gripen E og Rafale, og ikke minst F-35.
I Finland ønsker de et fly som har størst mulig kill ratio, og da tror jeg nesten valget er gitt. Spesielt ettersom de skal ha en plattform som skal virke etter 2060.
We want something like the Brewster, [which] had 32:1 during the Second World War. Of course that is the kind of thing we are aiming for, whether it’s realistic or not is another thing, but if we can reach for example 10:1 that is 600 fighters that we can shoot down. Or bombers, depending on whatever comes.
https://corporalfrisk.com/