So the great news is that 2032 has excellent resolution for ground mapping work!! The next AESA radar chosen from the HAL tender will probably have same or better resolution for ground work. That is going to be a large part of LCAs workload!!Nick_S wrote:Vishnu Som commented on Keypub -
In having followed the now scrapped MRCA and MMRCA programmes for more than a decade, I do believe the Gripen E/F has a fighting chance at winning an order now for 200 jets. This will depend, almost entirely, on the industrial partnership being offered by SAAB which, by all accounts, is fairly impressive.
That said, I do not see a Sea Gripen variant being inducted into the Indian Navy - they have a stated requirement for a twin engine fighter ... they are seeking 57 of them. Whats more, the government remains committed to an LCA Navy Mk-2 aircraft, a sanctioned project that continues to be developed - this was clarified to me by Commodore Balaji (retd), the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) Chief a few days back. ThanksA quick observation ... I was lucky to be flown onboard the LCA Tejas and the Gripen D on consecutive days last week and have a small observation to make. The Synthetic Aperture mode of the PS-05 V3 (possibly V4) on the Gripen was markedly inferior to the resolution provided by the Elta EL/M 2032 set onboard the Tejas while looking down and ground `targets. However, the air to air range on the Gripen's radar (not disclosing numbers here) was singularly impressive - meant to take advantage of the phenomenal range of the Meteor missile. Cheers.
The LCA pilot probably did not market the full range of the radar probably due to secretive nature and Vishnu is just another Jurno, why tell him anything about the true range of radar. He doesn't need to know. If Derby-ER is being tested on Tejas, then the ranges will be same or similar for all practical purposes. (http://aviationweek.com/paris-air-show- ... formance-0)
On the other hand, Gripen folks do care about marketing efforts and willing to tell everyone and sundry the true++ ranges of their radar. And marketing always promises more than what the item can deliver!! That is what they get paid for!