Military Technology 07/2020

which has set a new standard in the field. Fitting light fighters with AESA radars allows them to significantly close the gap with heavier, more ca- pable aircraft. In some cases, small fighters equipped with AESA radars can potentially overcome notionally superior classes of third- and fourth- generation fighters equipped with obsolete sensor suites. According to the principal radar producers, such reasoning has created a lucrative market for these systems. Companies that already have expertise in the field of light fire control radars, such as Leonardo and IAI, propose AESA versions of their best-sellers. The other players with expertise in radar technology (e.g. Saab, Thales, etc.) work on new projects for small AESA fire control radars or scaled-down variants of their current products. The Evergreen Leonardo GRIFO More than 450 GRIFO-family X-band radars have been sold worldwide. According to Leonardo figures, they have flown 150,000 hours. The main difference between the numerous versions is the size of the antenna, which can be adapted to the nose of the aircraft to be equipped. In the 1990s, GRIFO-M and GRIFO-L were installed on 40 Pakistani MIRAGE III/EA and 74 Aero Vodochody L-159s, respectively. Later, in 2015, 25 L-159s were sold to the Iraqi Air Force: a further 24 are operated by US private contractor Draken International, which uses them in the role of aggressors for the training role. Both operators deem their GRIFO ra- dars valid, still. A noticeably lighter variant has been installed on 160 Pakistani Chengdu F-7PG, while the most powerful version (GRIFO S) equips JF-17s. Therefore, Pakistan is the main user, with 200+ systems sold. The GRIFO-F variant is in service with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) as part of an upgrade offered by Israeli firm Elbit. In the 2001-2013 period, GRIFO was installed as an upgrade on 46 Brazilian F-5 E/Fs, with a further eleven purchased later. Leonardo claims that the The market for active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars is expanding. Fitting light fighters with AESA radars, albeit in smaller versions than the most capable models, will enable small nations to deploy credible assets at reasonable prices. Exploring Market Potential In the period 2019-2029, some 3,243 combat aircraft are expected to enter service, with as much as 45% of the market already taken up by Lockheed Martin’s F-35. Still, there are plenty of nations who con- tinue to extend the operational life of aircraft such as the Northrop F-5 (some 400 aircraft still in service in 16 countries); Mikoyan MIG-21 (500 in 17 countries); and Chengdu F-7 (450 in twelve countries). For most of them, modern combat aircraft are too expensive and light fighters often represent the affordable solution to maintaining core capabilities such as training, air policing, close air support (CAS) and battlefield air interdiction (BAI). The three main models in service cannot be updated forever, however. They will need replacement at some point, thus creat- ing a potential market for 1,350 aircraft. Furthermore, light fighters might represent a cost-effective solution for replacing the Sukhoi SU-25, 500 of which are still in service worldwide – bringing the potential market to 1,850 platforms. These considerations are known to companies currently having (or developing) armed trainers or light fighters in their portfolio. The market for light fighters is populated by projects such as Leonardo’s M-346, the Yakolev YAK-130, Hongdu L-15, KAI F/A-50 and Saab/Boeing T-X. All these companies work towards equipping their aircraft with state-of-the- art systems that can make them credible on the battlefield. Radar is a key feature for a fighter aircraft, especially with the advent of AESA technology, Marco Giulio Barone AESA Fire Control Radars for Light Fighters Key Enabler for Future Air Warfare 34 · MT 7-8/2020 Feature An M-346FT (Fighter Trainer) during flight tests. The market for light fighters and armed trainers is about to skyrocket. (Photo: Leonardo)