A report from the French International Relations Center (Institut français des relations internationales/ IFRI) envisions an overhaul of the Rafale fighter’s sensor suite against stealth aircraft.
The report, written by Lieutenant Colonel Adrien Gorremans and Jean-Christophe Noël, stated that Rafale’s current sensor package might not be sufficient against stealth aircraft. The article suggests various approaches to solving this shortcoming.
The first of these solutions is called IRST, which Rafale already possesses due to being a passive option independent of RF-band stealth. However, weather disturbances can affect these sensors’ already shorter range compared to radars tracking the infrared signature.
ESM is suggested in the RF band as another passive detection method, with resistance to weather disturbances and a detection range advantage compared to radar. However, a classification that involves a large bank of signatures and an algorithm to distinguish the targets must be utilised effectively.
The more complex solution is AI-powered multi-static sensing through multiple aircraft. While data links share various outputs on a common screen, multi-static systems combine multiple assets into one. This can improve detection performance from different aspects and make classification quicker. Rafale and the loyal wingman to develop the F5 standard in the 2030s would likely use this method if the French Air Force were to utilise it.
The report also gives rough information on this loyal wingman as a UCAV with fighter-like flight performance and stealth features to compensate for Rafale’s low observability deficiencies.
