→ the detection range of AESA Radars drops with angle, the maximum range of an AESA radar can only be accomplished by Removing the only advantage it has and focusing all Beams in the same direction
→ TWS with an AESA radar is only better at short ranges because the actual Power that the tracking Beams have shrinks with the number of beams, and if we use just one beam then the scanning speed is identical to that of a modern Mechanical Radar
all measures for Jamming resistance ane Jamming capabilities applied by AESA Radars (Frequency hopping, continuously decreasing power of the locking beam etc.) can be Applied by Mechanical radars too
While it’s true that AESA radar range decreases when beams are spread (like wide angle search), this is a trade-off for unmatched flexibility. A mechanical radar can’t even attempt multi-beam tracking it’s stuck sweeping like a lighthouse. AESA can instantly switch from wide search to focused tracking without wasting time repositioning a dish. And if max range is critical? AESA can still focus all beams forward like a mechanical radar but with no inertia, no lag, and the ability to jump back to scanning in microseconds.
TWS on an AESA is not just about raw power it’s about efficiency. Even with split beams, an AESA’s LPI modes and adaptive dwell times let it maintain tracks at longer ranges than a mechanical radar can manage. A mechanical radar must spend precious milliseconds physically moving, while an AESA time-shares seamlessly.
Mechanical radars theoretically could use frequency hopping or power management but in practice, they don’t because their slower scan rates and fixed beam patterns make them easier to predict and jam. An AESA can randomize scan patterns, spread emissions across hundreds of micro beams, and adapt in real time to jamming, something a rotating dish physically cannot do fast enough. That’s why modern EW systems prioritize AESA threats over mechanical ones and actually use AESA systems for jamming.
to AESA because of it’s one real advantage: Multi Beam scanning
perhaps being much lighter due to not having a heavy mechanical gearbox and Several motors and the by now Similar range due to now being able to just give the radar 20KW if it needs them are also good reasons
yesn’t, yes because modern AESA ans PESA radars do have that advantage over their predecessors, but no because this is not because of the antenna type but rather because of the technology behind it
