Brazil : FX-2 Update

© Rafale International http://www.rafale.com.br

 

The O Vale website ("Ovale.com.br") hosts the Janaina Coehlo's blog "Economia".

According to an article published today, the winner of the FX-2 would have already been selected, but it will remain secret until June. J.Coehlo, however, indicates that "It is taken for granted in Brasilia that the Planalto will follow the preference of the predecessor and indicate the Rafale".

Thus, we still have to wait carefully. Even more since L'Usine Nouvelle indicates that during his visit of Rio, Leon Panetta (US secretary of Defense) promised a "unprecedented level of Transfer of  keyTechnologies, only agreed to closest allies of USA" to Brazilian students and officers.

Normandie-Niemen

Site officiel RC2/30 Normandie-Niemen © 2011

The "Neu-Neu" (Normandie-Niemen), aka RC 2/30, launches a new website.

Here is the address :

http://rc230-normandieniemen.com/

Reminder :
http://rafalenews.blogspot.fr/2011/08/neu-neu-will-be-back-soon.html
http://rafalenews.blogspot.fr/2011/11/rafale-normandie-niemen-squadron.html
http://rafalenews.blogspot.fr/2012/02/rafale-pictures-of-day-normandie-niemen.html

AESA modules mystery...

©L'Est Républicain

For humour : It's getting even worst...

After pictures showing an array made of 838 modules, and other blurred pictures, a new article by L'Est Républicain indicates that there are actually 400 modules on this array. Thales advertise a more than 1000 modules array, their prototypes only show 838, and in the end, this article tells "400 modules".

Real information :
By the way, this article is more about the 50th anniversary of RealMeca and its implication in the production of the RBE-2 AESA, parts of Spectra, and missiles' seekers.
RealMeca is also known for their work in jewellery, watches, health.




Remember :
http://rafalenews.blogspot.fr/2011/02/thales-aesa-rbe-2-modules-pattern.html
http://rafalenews.blogspot.fr/2011/06/thales-rbe-2-aesa-mystery.html

Qatar interested too...

We're living in interesting times...

According to Air & Cosmos, Qatar has sent a delegation to evaluate the Rafale in Istres. Qatar has already evaluated the Rafale earlier, and this could be seen as a renewed interest in the Rafale.

The intention is to replace the Mirage 2000-5EDA/DDA, formerly only capable of air-defense missions, but later assigned to air-to-ground missions (with GBU-12).

Picture credits to Paul Farley from US Navy

Let's not forget that it's another competition, and Rafale will have to deal with the Typhoon (evaluated in late 2011), and the F/A-18 E (already evaluated too).

Malaysian MRCA

© RafaleMalaysia.com

With Dassault competing in the Malaysian MRCA, along with Boeing (F/A-18E), Eurofighter, Saab (Gripen NG), Sukhoi (Su-30 MKM), the Snecma is already working hard to put the French consortium into a winning position...

As reported by Jane's :

GTA confirmed to IHS Jane's on 17 April that Turbomeca has recently completed the acquisition of a 30 per cent stake in the Malaysian company. Meanwhile, Snecma signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GTA that is intended to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to Snecma engines in service in civil and military sectors in Malaysia.

See also :
Bernama.com.my

LAAD 2012

Of course, Dassault is participating to the Latin America Aero and Defence 2012...

Interviewed by l'Usine Nouvelle, Jean-Marc Merialdo said :
"The fact that India chose the Rafale has impressed very much our Brasilian friends who have shown extremely interested in this choice. This is very important because among the BRICS, [...] India and Brasil are very close partners."


Meanwhile, Defesa.net reveals some pictures from Dassault, and here are some of them :

AESA news...

The first production RBE-2 AESA has been delivered in February to Dassault Merignac (final assembly plant), and is installed on the C137 which should fly toward Mont-de-Marsan during this summer :

Neuilly-sur-Seine – In February, Thales delivered the first series-produced RBE2 radar with active electronically scanned array (AESA) to the Dassault Aviation facility in Mérignac, France. The radar will now be installed on Rafale C137, the first Rafale with this new capability, which is scheduled for delivery to the French defence procurement agency (DGA) this summer. A comprehensive three-month flight test programme conducted with the first production RBE2 AESA radar at the Istres air base demonstrated the qualities of the radar and confirmed the expected levels of performance prior to delivery to Dassault Aviation.
Source : Thales

This will be the first operational european fighter with such a radar.