IAF's quest for a MRCA - Why the Hornet is the strongest contender.
AESA radar technology that the IAF can acquire through the purchase of F/A-18E/F Hornets represents a technological edge that is simply too significant for the IAF to overlook.
F/A-18E/F
AESA radar technology that the IAF can acquire through the purchase of F/A-18E/F Hornets represents a technological edge that is simply too significant for the IAF to overlook. According to unclassified US defense papers AESA provides 10-30 times more net radar capability plus significant advantages in the areas of range resolution, countermeasure resistance and flexibility. These are significant, almost revolutionary numbers.
Using it AESA AN/APG-79 radar a F/A-18E/F can now detect and identify targets beyond the reach of the Super Hornet's AIM-120 Slammer missiles. Though the exact range and resolution of the radar are classified an inference can be made for the fact that the AIM-120 missile has a reported range of over 30 nm. How much over, no one knows at this point. However, it is the author's opinion that once US officials in their negotiation with IAF allude to actual detection ranges that an AESA equipped F/A-18E/F could achieve a lot of jaws will drop at Air HQs
The enabling technology for AESA is Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) which uses lithographic-type processes to produce microwave circuits on chips at very high levels of integration. A modern X-band T/R module, in addition to a radiating element, will contain five to seven chips (MMICs) produced in a foundry and later integrated into a substrate with a few discrete components and cooling provisions, all filling a space on the order of 1/4 cu in.
Raytheon AN/APG-79 AESA radar that equips US Navy F/A-18E/F
It is not easy to make chips out of GaAs. It took almost two decades for the fabrication technology to move from bespoke manufacture to industrial strength mass production. Though it is true that this technology is already being put into cellphones, broadcast satellite receivers and TV sets it is likely that commercial use of GaAs chips is tightly controlled.
Currently, the only country in the world that has AESA technology is the US which acquired the technology after years of research and huge investments. The EU and Israel are reportedly next in line to acquire AESA, only because the flow of GaAs MMIC chips to these countries will not remain restricted for long due to commercial imperative. Under the circumstances, it is unlikely that Russia will acquire AESA for sometime to come.
Today, the IAF has the opportunity to acquire fighters equipped with AESA radars either through the purchase of F-16s from Lockheed or F/A-18E/F from Boeing. It is an opportunity that the IAF cannot ignore simply for the reason that it is almost certain that PAF will acquire F-16 equipped with AESA radars.
The IAF simply cannot wait for EU, Israel and eventually Russia to acquire AESA. By doing so it would once again cede a technological edge to the PAF, something it has repeatedly done in the past. After spurring the US offer, if the IAF were to eventually acquire AESA radars form the EU or Israel it is very likely that such transfers would be monitored and controlled by the US. What purpose would such a delay in committing to the best technology serve other than giving Pakistan another window of opportunity for a Kargil style operation?
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