French Rafale F3R boasts new Meteor “game-changer” missile

TR_123456

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The F3R Standard of the Dassault Rafale fighter jet reached another milestone with the integration of the Meteor missile.


Developed by MBDA within the framework of cooperation involving France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Spain, and Germany, the Meteor is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. The weapon has a range of over 150 kilometers (90 miles) and can reach Mach 4 speed.


The French Air Force can now count on what it describes as a “game-changer.” On March 4, 2021, it announced that it carried out the first operational flight with a Rafale equipped with combat-ready Meteor missiles.

1614953009702.png


“This flight made it possible to validate the process of routing ammunition depots to the armament zone, then to validate the know-how during a first deployment of the missile by the armorers, and to confirm the operational readiness of the crews,” the Air Force explained on Twitter. The Meteor was first introduced by Sweden on the JAS 39 Gripen in April 2016. It should eventually equip the Eurofighter Typhoon fighters of the other partner countries.


The Rafale F3R did not wait for the Meteor missile to have its baptism by fire. In September 2020, a patrol of two fighter jets was called to carry out a strike of opportunity against a position of the so-called Islamic State, neutralizing several insurgents with laser-guided bombs.


In addition to the missile, the F3R Standard comprises several other upgrades, including the RBE2 AESA radar system and the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite. The French Air Force’s backbone aircraft can also carry the TALIOS designation pod, developed by Thales, which increases the detection and identification capabilities of land targets in any conditions. The pod was used for the first time in November 2020.

One step ahead​


Dassault Aviation is already working on the following upgrade to the capacity of the Rafale. On January 14, 2019, the French Ministry of Armed Forces contracted the development of the F4 Standard which will focus on improving the connectivity of the Rafale with other systems through “new satellite and intra-patrol links, communication server, software radio.” Thus, the fighter will be able to integrate into the Future Combat Air System that France, Germany, and Spain are conjointly developing.

 

Kaptaan

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I am not sufficiently qualified but this looks like bad news for Pakistan. In Feb 2019 tangle between India and Pakistan the PAF came out on top by shooting down and capturing a Indian pilot. But wonder if this was to happen again would India, given it's recent purchase of Rafale mean Pakistan will be on the defensive.

Or can the F-16 Blk 52 take this thing on?
 
A

adenl

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I am not sufficiently qualified but this looks like bad news for Pakistan. In Feb 2019 tangle between India and Pakistan the PAF came out on top by shooting down and capturing a Indian pilot. But wonder if this was to happen again would India, given it's recent purchase of Rafale mean Pakistan will be on the defensive.

Or can the F-16 Blk 52 take this thing on?
No, PAF is rapidly loosing its qualitative edge against the IAF, when it inducts more AWACS, Rafales with Meteor capability and in the near future the various Astra variants of which Mk3 will also be ramjet propelled like the Meteor. PAF could mitigate this by getting the PL-15 and perhaps more advanced fighters from China.

On the AWACS side though the PAF is unrivaled, but it's ECM capabilities should get a boost to counter the latest of Indian's aerial threat.
 

Parry Brima

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I am not sufficiently qualified but this looks like bad news for Pakistan. In Feb 2019 tangle between India and Pakistan the PAF came out on top by shooting down and capturing a Indian pilot. But wonder if this was to happen again would India, given it's recent purchase of Rafale mean Pakistan will be on the defensive.

Or can the F-16 Blk 52 take this thing on?

If only Pakistan can hold until 2030 then some would say that they get a chance with KFX against Rafale😉
 

Nilgiri

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loosing its qualitative edge against the IAF

If it had any to begin with, it wouldn't have been a mute spectator during Kargil. That was a lot of their ground forces getting PGM'ed past the artillery barrages. Took about 7 years for Pakistan to slowly officially admit the scale of it.

On the AWACS side though the PAF is unrivaled

How so? Phalcon is clearly the best in the region. Netra will soon have 360 degree too (and 6 a320 airframes for it), unlike the erieye which is a 240'er.

Cooperation with Israel on all manner of radars and sensors will continue and intensify.

Pakistan just does not have the industrial or research capacity for these things and have stalled and sunk their economy at the current low level on top. Is there a lab like LRDE in Pakistan? If so where are the papers + realised output?

India's larger focus will be to get its savings per year from 1 trillion to 2 trillion, what is Pakistan's larger game plan on this? Double from (current) 20 billion to 40 billion? Forego all of everything else thats needed (inflation and all) with that increase?

They already long foregone converting their ballistic missile technology into simple sounding rocket basis for a reason....making a stark regional void in this between Iran and India.

All the military gear costs a lot of money long term to stay relevant....and even more so if you cannot produce it.
 
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adenl

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If it had any to begin with, it wouldn't have been a mute spectator during Kargil. That was a lot of their ground forces getting PGM'ed past the artillery barrages. Took about 7 years for Pakistan to slowly officially admit the scale of it.
And then the PAF won the qualitative edge by 2010 with the ability to fire the Aim-120. And it got a bunch of AWACS too since then and outnumbering the IAF in the amount of AWACS.
 

Nilgiri

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And then the PAF won the qualitative edge by 2010 with the ability to fire the Aim-120. And it got a bunch of AWACS too since then and outnumbering the IAF in the amount of AWACS.

It would need an actual conflict to put to any kind of mettle. Another Kargil at the minimum....but once bitten, twice shy.

The Chinese AWACs and JF-17s are not going to register qualitatively. Name me the countries that would acquire those over better quality western and israeli ones if all are accessible? Confuses me why Pakistan didn't just buy more erieye.

Nor the fact that Pakistan has not the capacity to develop or produce AESA radars (of various sizes) at any scale....that will dictate huge part of any future conflict, air, land and sea....missiles too. The economy of scale and domestic availability of these.

This extends to sensors and C4I networking in general. There some kind of program for a dedicated military C4I satellite that China is going to build, produce and launch for Pakistan for example like India launched a few times years ago...and moving onto the next tier of it? It all costs huge money as soon as you got to use another currency and your economy does very little to earn it.

Thus all this import reliance + constraints there with the extra margins on top will cascade with time.

There is simply a whole ecosystem of RnD and engineering that Pakistan is sorely falling behind on now....and is not making basic amends fiscally to catch up sustainably in future....given the ever increasing opportunity cost from the economic doldrum situation at the level its at.

The rocketry stasis was just the first sign of the larger affliction.
 
A

adenl

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Oh man, chauvinism really does do a number on reading comprehension. I'll put you on ignore too.

Edit: And I took you off the ingore list

Edit: And I put you back on it
 
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Kaptaan

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If it had any to begin with, it wouldn't have been a mute spectator during Kargil. That was a lot of their ground forces getting PGM'ed past the artillery barrages. Took about 7 years for Pakistan to slowly officially admit the scale of it.



How so? Phalcon is clearly the best in the region. Netra will soon have 360 degree too (and 6 a320 airframes for it), unlike the erieye which is a 240'er.

Cooperation with Israel on all manner of radars and sensors will continue and intensify.

Pakistan just does not have the industrial or research capacity for these things and have stalled and sunk their economy at the current low level on top. Is there a lab like LRDE in Pakistan? If so where are the papers + realised output?

India's larger focus will be to get its savings per year from 1 trillion to 2 trillion, what is Pakistan's larger game plan on this? Double from (current) 20 billion to 40 billion? Forego all of everything else thats needed (inflation and all) with that increase?

They already long foregone converting their ballistic missile technology into simple sounding rocket basis for a reason....making a stark regional void in this between Iran and India.

All the military gear costs a lot of money long term to stay relevant....and even more so if you cannot produce it.
Listen Nilgiri, you keep throwing these numbers and talking of how big India is. We all know that. In less than three years India will be the largest country on earth where almost 20% of humanity will live. So I know that this fact alone will churn out dazzling figures.

But going to the substance of the matter. The cause of the conflicts between Pakistan is Kashmir. Indian claim on Kashmir is premised on the Instrument of Accession. It gave all of the erstwhile Jammu Kashmir state to India.

Going by Indian POV Pakistan illegally occupied the portion called Azad Kashmir. Explain to me why India given it's massive size, it's huge resources, much vaunted military compared to the tiny, failed, bankrupt has not taken the Azad Kashmir bequeathed by the Maharajah 70 years ago?

On the Pakistani side to be fair we have tried, despite being vastly smaller to go for it. You would expect given India's vastly greater size to have actually launched a offensive to take Azad Kashmir and occupy sliver of Pakistan. Then force Pakistan to give up the claim on Kashmir and then on that condition return the sliver of Pakistan back. Israeli's did that with Egypt and used Sinai. They still hold Golan.

Your no doubt going to bring in Bangla 71 etc when you know that was entirely differant dynamic.
 
A

adenl

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Listen Nilgiri, you keep throwing these numbers and talking of how big India is. We all know that. In less than three years India will be the largest country on earth where almost 20% of humanity will live. So I know that this fact alone will churn out dazzling figures.

But going to the substance of the matter. The cause of the conflicts between Pakistan is Kashmir. Indian claim on Kashmir is premised on the Instrument of Accession. It gave all of the erstwhile Jammu Kashmir state to India.

Going by Indian POV Pakistan illegally occupied the portion called Azad Kashmir. Explain to me why India given it's massive size, it's huge resources, much vaunted military compared to the tiny, failed, bankrupt has not taken the Azad Kashmir bequeathed by the Maharajah 70 years ago?

On the Pakistani side to be fair we have tried, despite being vastly smaller to go for it. You would expect given India's vastly greater size to have actually launched a offensive to take Azad Kashmir and occupy sliver of Pakistan. Then force Pakistan to give up the claim on Kashmir and then on that condition return the sliver of Pakistan back. Israeli's did that with Egypt and used Sinai. They still hold Golan.

Your no doubt going to bring in Bangla 71 etc when you know that was entirely differant dynamic.
I am still laughing about the fact that a tiny private jet with some puny antennas sticking out of it was able to jam the IAF communications and render 3 different airborne radars useless, one of which was supposedly a highly powerful PESA :ROFLMAO:

1614969594544.png
 

Nilgiri

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You can agree to disagree and just move on.

Or declare you will put someone on ignore and actually do so...and move on....over one thread or one post even, its your choice.

Hey guess what the size of ignore lists would be if everyone did the same....would a forum even really exist? Put on ignore when you have a disagreement or a convo doesnt go a specific way you want?

What is this even? 0.001% of the heated arguments here that can occur?.....I havent really seen participants resort to "ignore" or whatever. Either you argue the points or you dont care to...and go to another topic. Whats the point of ignoring someone anyhow?...they are always going to be disagreeing with you or doing something you don't like and upsetting you?

Anyway Its an online forum....no one is forcing anyone to read or respond to stuff. The forum doesn't operate on a control-freak attitude.

If you don't like something... you dont like it....you don't agree, you don't agree!....simple. You post the points to counter if you care to, or you don't. No harm no foul.

Making a hue and cry over what responses you like and dont like and thus will "ignore" folks over....well....to each his own I guess.
 
A

adenl

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Why you deleting my meme though... I spends precious time over it to accurately depict your unnecessary long-winded reactions..:(
 
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A

adenl

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You can agree to disagree and just move on.

Or declare you will put someone on ignore and actually do so...and move on....over one thread or one post even, its your choice.

Hey guess what the size of ignore lists would be if everyone did the same....would a forum even really exist? Put on ignore when you have a disagreement or a convo doesnt go a specific way you want?

What is this even? 0.001% of the heated arguments here that can occur?.....I havent really seen participants resort to "ignore" or whatever. Either you argue the points or you dont care to...and go to another topic. Whats the point of ignoring someone anyhow?...they are always going to be disagreeing with you or doing something you don't like and upsetting you?

Anyway Its an online forum....no one is forcing anyone to read or respond to stuff. The forum doesn't operate on a control-freak attitude.

If you don't like something... you dont like it....you don't agree, you don't agree!....simple. You post the points to counter if you care to, or you don't. No harm no foul.

Making a hue and cry over what responses you like and dont like and thus will "ignore" folks over....well....to each his own I guess.
Or you are just abusing your power as a mod to pretend to prove someone wrong when you actually proved him right. I gave you a chance though, thinking that you could see the futility of your posts. I was wrong in this, but I am still right about that which clouds ones reading comprehension.
 

Kaptaan

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I am still laughing about the fact that a tiny private jet with some puny antennas sticking out of it was able to jam the IAF communications and render 3 different airborne radars useless, one of which was supposedly a highly powerful PESA :ROFLMAO:

View attachment 15454
Honestly, as you might know I am not really read up on military tech but I have been reading Indian reports about all sort of fancy stuff including sci-fic tech from Israel. Then Feb 2019 happens. Indians lost one plane shot down, one Su-30 down and they managed to in the fog of war shoot down their own helicopter using the sci-fi Israeli Spyder whatever. Nobody serriously believes Pakistan lost a F-16. We know India scrambled to buy the Rafale. That tells us something.

But the bigger question still stands. The issue between Pak and India is Kashmir. Why after 70 years has India not KO'ed Pakistan and inflicted a unconditional surrender on it with all of Kashmir being taken by India.

At least the 70 years of conflicts would come to end. Pakistan would move on a defeated country like Germany did even when it lost large tracts of land in Poland - Pomerania/Danzig etc.

More later on this. I will tag you about some real interesting facts that leave a person bemused. Just so as to make this clear I am not some Pakistani kid fed on propaganda. I have a very eccentric nature and don't fit with most of Pakistani POV.
 

Nilgiri

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A person can decide once and for all if he's putting someone on ignore as promised.

As for:

"Why you deleting my meme though... I spends precious time over it to accurate depict your unnecessary long-winded reactions"

There is nothing being deleted here that I can see....I certainly didn't delete anything, its not even my section....I don't have the option to delete posts (its french section). Ask any other mod/admin if you want.

Lying/insinuating over "mod abuse" or coming up with other fiction to go along with the rest of your fiction/agenda here is laughable.

Either you have points/counters you care to share or you don't. Nothing to being/not-being a mod about it.

Not going to waste any more time on this.
 

Nilgiri

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Listen Nilgiri, you keep throwing these numbers and talking of how big India is. We all know that. In less than three years India will be the largest country on earth where almost 20% of humanity will live. So I know that this fact alone will churn out dazzling figures.

But going to the substance of the matter. The cause of the conflicts between Pakistan is Kashmir. Indian claim on Kashmir is premised on the Instrument of Accession. It gave all of the erstwhile Jammu Kashmir state to India.

Going by Indian POV Pakistan illegally occupied the portion called Azad Kashmir. Explain to me why India given it's massive size, it's huge resources, much vaunted military compared to the tiny, failed, bankrupt has not taken the Azad Kashmir bequeathed by the Maharajah 70 years ago?

On the Pakistani side to be fair we have tried, despite being vastly smaller to go for it. You would expect given India's vastly greater size to have actually launched a offensive to take Azad Kashmir and occupy sliver of Pakistan. Then force Pakistan to give up the claim on Kashmir and then on that condition return the sliver of Pakistan back. Israeli's did that with Egypt and used Sinai. They still hold Golan.

Your no doubt going to bring in Bangla 71 etc when you know that was entirely differant dynamic.

Wars are an expensive business. The 71 war caused, with the intensity needed for even that partial (one-theatre) result....cost Indian economy (already doing badly) very badly.

That is the main reason why, though in hindsight it would have been better to gone all in then as far as possible.

The other matter is the terrain of kashmir is not conducive to war there, so it cannot be a limited war but a broad one (and thus expensive see above).

That is all part of the reasons why India did not settle this whole thing before Pakistan went nuclear around the late 80s/early 90s.

Is Kashmir total-conquest (i.e a defeat inflicted on the state itself given the terrain problem in kashmir) dispute worth getting Delhi nuked? Nope. Not till we have it sufficiently countered first as a basic pre-requisite, which needs a far larger economy and capability we currently have and are developing (the BMD system etc).

It is just better to not get into a rut like we did economically, and grow to the tiers needed so we get the next generation of technologies down road at our disposal at the economies of scale needed. Then weigh the options then depending on how Pakistan has fared and conducting itself ....what routes are there if they even need to be taken....war is never a easy resort, it is a last option. There is always plenty of grey buffer room to exist mutually as is and see how the downstream evolves.

Anyway this is going off topic and a cyclical conversation we have indulged in too much already.
 

Fuzuli NL

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Why you deleting my meme though... I spends precious time over it to accurately depict your unnecessary long-winded reactions..:(
I deleted it. You know the rules.
And yet you post it again! Unbelievable!
 

crixus

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The F3R Standard of the Dassault Rafale fighter jet reached another milestone with the integration of the Meteor missile.


Developed by MBDA within the framework of cooperation involving France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Spain, and Germany, the Meteor is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. The weapon has a range of over 150 kilometers (90 miles) and can reach Mach 4 speed.


The French Air Force can now count on what it describes as a “game-changer.” On March 4, 2021, it announced that it carried out the first operational flight with a Rafale equipped with combat-ready Meteor missiles.

View attachment 15439

“This flight made it possible to validate the process of routing ammunition depots to the armament zone, then to validate the know-how during a first deployment of the missile by the armorers, and to confirm the operational readiness of the crews,” the Air Force explained on Twitter. The Meteor was first introduced by Sweden on the JAS 39 Gripen in April 2016. It should eventually equip the Eurofighter Typhoon fighters of the other partner countries.


The Rafale F3R did not wait for the Meteor missile to have its baptism by fire. In September 2020, a patrol of two fighter jets was called to carry out a strike of opportunity against a position of the so-called Islamic State, neutralizing several insurgents with laser-guided bombs.


In addition to the missile, the F3R Standard comprises several other upgrades, including the RBE2 AESA radar system and the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite. The French Air Force’s backbone aircraft can also carry the TALIOS designation pod, developed by Thales, which increases the detection and identification capabilities of land targets in any conditions. The pod was used for the first time in November 2020.

One step ahead​


Dassault Aviation is already working on the following upgrade to the capacity of the Rafale. On January 14, 2019, the French Ministry of Armed Forces contracted the development of the F4 Standard which will focus on improving the connectivity of the Rafale with other systems through “new satellite and intra-patrol links, communication server, software radio.” Thus, the fighter will be able to integrate into the Future Combat Air System that France, Germany, and Spain are conjointly developing.

I think after the second-order of rafales, most probably India will get the integration rights of Meteor with the LCA and its future variants. That will really help them to be a quality defensive weapon patrolling the Indian skies.

L&T and MBDA are already in collaboration to manufacture them in India if the orders are in large numbers.
@Nilgiri what you think about the integration of Meteor with the LCA and its future variants .
 
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crixus

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Honestly, as you might know I am not really read up on military tech but I have been reading Indian reports about all sort of fancy stuff including sci-fic tech from Israel. Then Feb 2019 happens. Indians lost one plane shot down, one Su-30 down and they managed to in the fog of war shoot down their own helicopter using the sci-fi Israeli Spyder whatever. Nobody serriously believes Pakistan lost a F-16. We know India scrambled to buy the Rafale. That tells us something.

But the bigger question still stands. The issue between Pak and India is Kashmir. Why after 70 years has India not KO'ed Pakistan and inflicted a unconditional surrender on it with all of Kashmir being taken by India.

At least the 70 years of conflicts would come to end. Pakistan would move on a defeated country like Germany did even when it lost large tracts of land in Poland - Pomerania/Danzig etc.

More later on this. I will tag you about some real interesting facts that leave a person bemused. Just so as to make this clear I am not some Pakistani kid fed on propaganda. I have a very eccentric nature and don't fit with most of Pakistani POV.
The real enemy of India is China not some Chinese lackey
 

Raptor

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Honestly, as you might know I am not really read up on military tech but I have been reading Indian reports about all sort of fancy stuff including sci-fic tech from Israel. Then Feb 2019 happens. Indians lost one plane shot down, one Su-30 down and they managed to in the fog of war shoot down their own helicopter using the sci-fi Israeli Spyder whatever. Nobody serriously believes Pakistan lost a F-16. We know India scrambled to buy the Rafale. That tells us something.

But the bigger question still stands. The issue between Pak and India is Kashmir. Why after 70 years has India not KO'ed Pakistan and inflicted a unconditional surrender on it with all of Kashmir being taken by India.

At least the 70 years of conflicts would come to end. Pakistan would move on a defeated country like Germany did even when it lost large tracts of land in Poland - Pomerania/Danzig etc.

More later on this. I will tag you about some real interesting facts that leave a person bemused. Just so as to make this clear I am not some Pakistani kid fed on propaganda. I have a very eccentric nature and don't fit with most of Pakistani POV.
You literally have zero proof of downing su30mki cut the crap.
India doesn't hides its casualties or defeated pilots unlike Pakistan.
In kargil you were returned with your dead soldiers which you refused to accept.
 
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