Military Technology 07/2020

Feature MT 7-8/2020 · 37 Further Considerations Increasing defence spending and the need for the replacement of hundreds of ageing fighters are two trends that boost current demand for fire control radars. Yet, the community of those searching for affordable solutions (armed trainers, modernization, etc.) is broad, thus fleshing out the market for small fire control radar, with AESA models seen as the most competitive. As a consequence, companies with a solid position in this segment are redoubling their efforts to propose innovative versions of their best-sellers. Meanwhile, companies with solid expertise in radar technology are considering entering the market for small fire control ra- dars with new proposals, trying to find a niche. In this, companies like Leonardo and Thales also find room to keep selling their mechanically-­ scanned models, which they believe to be still valid in the medium term in specific scenarios. intense energy demands of AESA radars. Still, a state-of-the-art mechan- ically-scanned array radar can make the difference in some regions of the world. For instance, in Africa, in Latin America or in Southeast Asia, the advantage over strategic competitors is often a matter of possessing some capacity or not, regardless of its level of sophistication. Therefore, Thales tends to promote its RDY-3/RC-400 as an upgrade, leaving the development of a smaller RBE-2AA variant to specific requests. In effect, most of the potential upgrade market for the company is represented by the MIRAGE-F1, MIRAGE-2000, and MIG-29 families of fighters. The list of clients that have opted for the RDY-2/3 and RC-400 families includes numerous operators of the MIRAGE family. About 392 MIRAGE 2000s are today in service in France, Egypt, Greece, India, Peru, Qatar, Taiwan and the UAE. Operators of the most recent RDY-3 version include the Indian Air Force for its 49 MIRAGE 2000T/H and the Moroccan Air Force’s 26 MIRAGE F-1CH/EH, while France is installing it on 55 MIRAGE-2000D currently undergoing an upgrade. An M-346FA on static display, featuring a GRIFO-346 mechanically-scanned radar. Notwithstanding innovations, the market for M-scan radars will contine to flourish for another ten years. (Photo: Marco Giulio Barone) The ELM-2052. (Photo: IAI) An artist’s impression of IAI’s ELM-2052 radar. (Photo: IAI)