This is the wrong thread for that discussion, but the Eurofigher early-on did have the option of TVC nozzles developed, and also a thrust upgrade to 120kn from the 90kn, via replacing some components of the compressors with crystalline composite variants, and iirc increasing engine temps, which is what I expect T-REX to include.
However as you do rightly assert, such upgrades were deemed unnecessary, despite both the nozzle and EJ200 Tranche 2 being fully developed.
I expect the Tempest 6th gen to utilise to EJ200 tranche 2 engines on the prototype as the first and only usage for them.
To be fair, France is upgrading their Rafale soon for the 3rd/4th time (PESA → AESA → AESAw/GaN → RBE2-XG) with another ESA radar while European countries still use mechanical, so that isn’t really an argument to use.
Well if you were to utilise the ‘upgrading’ turn of phrase as in currently being done, then so are the Europeans, and it would be one of very few gimballed AESA’s.
The lack of urgency to upgrade the Radar shows that the rest of the airframe is meeting the requirements and needs.
Otherwise nations would be trying to bail out of the Typhoon on the grounds it’s flight performance, sensors and weapon suites are not up to the standard of the todays battlefield.
Instead every nation that uses them and every pilot including Raptor guys have said the flight performance and acceleration is excellent. In game we don’t out accelerate an F-15E anymore.
To my understanding Germany, Italy, and UK still have not upgraded to AESA yet while it is true that the mechanical Captor had received many upgrades over the years. Not sure how relevant it would be to mention the AESA when it’s not yet in service.
GaN is being introduced to RBE2 on Rafale F4.2 which will be put into service later this year. But yes RBE2-XG will take full advantage of GaN and also will feature 75% more range (current RBE2 is already missing a sizeable portion of range).
agreed, but 1.4 on 80% throttle on the Rafale, a plane that afaik isnt exactly known for its high speed capabilities? that has to be under ideal conditions in a shallow dive
Tbf, F.5 is very likely to be come a bit heavier (+ new Pods such as ESJ) and new, maybe more efficient, engines may then be necessary.
I would still take that with a grain of salt tbh, especially with the very scarce informations atm and the already anyway planned introduction of GaN with RBE2-XG - Then there are also mentions of a F.4.3 and a Rafale C spotted with some kind of new Communication System being spotted, so who knows.
Primary sources state it can do 1.5. It can barely do 1.3 at the moment. If the Rafale has enough dry thrust to reach 1.4 at 80% throttle (with what we should assume to be a standard warload and not a super stripped down, ultra light airframe used only for testing) then the Typhoon should be able to at least do 1.4 at 100% throttle.
