RBE2 AESA

The RBE2 (Radar à Balayage Electronique 2 plans) is a multirole radar developed during the 1990s for the Dassault Rafale, a French combat aircraft. The original RBE2 is a passive electronically scanned array. This has since been developed into the RBE2-AA, an active electronically scanned array.

Development

Development of the RBE2 began in 1989 as a joint project between Thomson-CSF's RCM division and Dassault Electronique which merged in 1998 to form Thomson-CSF Detexis.[1] Development was continued by Thomson-CSF's successor company, Thales Group.[2]

The RBE2 is a passive electronically scanned array (PESA), an electronically scanned radar with a single transmitter. Flight trials of the RBE2 began in 1992 and the first production radar was delivered in May 1997.[3][4]

In April 2002, the French defence procurement agency, Délégation Générale pour l'Armement (DGA), awarded Thales Group a contract to develop an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar demonstrator based on the RBE2 radar. The resulting RBE2-AA (active array) variant has been tested on a Mirage 2000 testbed aircraft from the Flight Test Center of the DGA and then on a Rafale. While the first tests were made with US-made transmitter-receivers, the current radar features parts manufactured by Thales. The radar uses about 838 GaAs T/R modules.

In July 2004, DGA awarded a 90 million-euro contract for the development of a second a AESA radar demonstrator. Production of the RBE2-AA commenced in 2008 and entered service in 2013.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Osborn, Graeme (June 9, 1999). RBE2 Radar Gets Ahead. Flight International.
  2. ↑ (June, 2002) Europe targets cockpits, sensors. Aerospace America.
  3. ↑ Streetly, Martin (September 1992). "Rafale radar begins flight trials". Microwave Journal. 35: 49.
  4. ↑ "Premier Radar Serie Du Rafale". Sud Ouest (in French). 6 May 1997.
  5. ↑ (November 4, 2008). Flying the flag for Rafale. Flight International.
  6. ↑ Lake, Jon. "Latest Standard Rafale Gains Clearance; First Indian Aircraft Flies". Aviation International News. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
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