3 ASPECTS WHICH MAKE RAFALE VERY DESTRUCTIVE

INTRODUCTION: The Indian government has cleared the much anticipated deal with France for 36 Rafale fighter jets which will cost 7.878 billion Euros. Tucked away in the details of the deal, there are 3 aspects which make the Rafale the most destructive aircraft for the Indian Air force. Defense updates has analyzed them and bringing you particulars of each of these 3 aspects. Lets look into the 3 aspects one by one. METEROR IAF's Rafales will come equipped with the Meteor missile. It is arguably the most advance air to air missile in the world. The acquisition of this weapon is likely to be game changer in South Asia. Neither Pakistan nor China, India's traditional military adversaries, possess a weapon of the same class.   So what is special in Meteror ? Here are the main points 1. Meteor has a range of 100 KM. The only other air-to-air missile which has range similar to Meteor is the AIM-120D. AIM-120D the latest variant of the US Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile is also designed to hit targets more than 100 km away. 2. Meteor has ramjet engine. A conventional solid-fuel booster accelerates the Meteor after launch, like most air-to-air missiles. But while roaring through the air, the missile opens up a intake channel, allowing air to rush into the engine, which heats up the oxygen and propels the supersonic missile to Mach 4 (four times the speed of sound)."  The speed gives little chance to the target to escape. 3. Engineers from the European firm MBDA, which builds the missile, have reportedly claimed that the Meteor has a "no escape zone" three times larger than that of the AIM 120D AMRAAM missile. The no-escape zone is an aerial combat term for a cone-shaped area determined by the missile's capabilities -- from where a targeted aircraft cannot escape solely using its own maneuverability.  To survive the no escape zone, a fighter jet has to be able to jam the seeker of the incoming missile or deceive it by firing chaff, strips of metal foil released in the air to obstruct radar detection. 4. In the final phase of target engagement, an on-board datalink gives a major advantage to Meteror. Using the datalink means that ,target information updates while the missile is already streaking towards its target. Re-targeting data can even come from a third party—i.e., from a platform other than the launch aircraft. SCALP The second most important aspect is the presence of SCALP. Scalp is an air-launched cruise missile, manufactured by MBDA. Scalp has the following features which makes it extremely useful for IAF. 1. The missile has a massive range of approximately 560 km (300 nautical miles). The range enable the missile to take out high value ground targets from long distances. 2. It carries a massive warhead, 450 kg BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge). This enables the missile to destroy even fortified bunkers. It has been used recently. June 2016 the R A F used 4 Scalp missiles against an ISIS Bunker in Iraq. Scalp missiles were used due to the bunker's massive construction. All 4 missiles scored direct hits, penetrating deep into the bunker, destroying them completely. Guidance for Meteror & Scalp: Rafael also has another ace up its sleeve, that is its new radar. Rafael are equipped with the brand-new RBE2 Active Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA) radar. . These are special features of the radar. 1. It is estimated to have maximum range around 200 km. The excellent range gives it ability to detect aircraft from long distances. 2. Maximum number aerial target it can track is 40 . 3. Maximum number aerial target it can engaged simultaneously is 8. 4. Capabilities supporting low-observable target detection. 5. Higher reliability for reduced maintenance and lower through-life support costs. 6. Greater waveform agility resulting in improved resistance to jamming. With its strong capabilities, this radar gives the Rafale a great situational awareness in the battlefield and gives it an edge over its rivals.