What would be the best 4.5 gen in the future?

Machinery of War Discussion Aircraft
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Mostly depends on how asraam, iris-t and mica IR is modeled.

If, mica ir, can relock due to its datalink, then I think mica ir will be better than asraam. Even then though, eurofighter carries more countermeasures, missiles while also having better flight performance. And the gap between mica ir and asraam/iris-t methinks will be small enough for it to not matter in the grand scheme of things.

Low k depending on if su-35 gets r-74m2 and r-37m, methinks rafale isn’t going to even be second best 4.5 gen.

I am assuming all IIR missiles will be modeled like their ground counterparts. So NO relock
My hypothetical future rankings->
EF2K (with meteor, AIM-120D, asraam, iris-t)
SU-35 (with R-74M2, R-37M, R-77M, R-27ER)
Rafale (with mica em/ir NG and meteor)
Grippy E (With meteor, iris-t)
…

F-15EX (AIM-120D, AIM-9X blk2)

I put aim-120ds for the eurofighter as well as I don’t think the double rack for the amraams are compatible with meteors, and double aim-120ds are probably better than single meteors.

Now, why I think su-35 will be better than rafale with mica NG/Meteor?

Simple, it can carry 6 r-37ms with 6 r-77ms and then r-74m2s. Or just straight up 8 r-37ms, 2 r-77ms and 2 r-74m2s if you forgo the double rack r-77s for r-37m. Just the sheer quantity of missiles it can carry is insane. and ±120 degree radar

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21

The question I had was, where does the ranking sit compared to the Eurofighter if there’s two different late versions of the Rafale.

One with Meteor, MICA EM, and MICA IR

And one with Meteor but the mica em and mica ir is replaced by their next gen variants.

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MICA IR NG will certainly be a nuisance but I think due to rafale not having the sheer quantity of missiles (like how su-30sm2 is imo best plane rn over rafale due to its sheer number of missiles+radar+decent FM) like eurofighter or su-35 it will fall off a bit.
so imo it will be third

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Step 1 of the EF EK (so sead and Arexis iirc ) will be integrated into T4 eurofighters so that will be something

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I think it depends on how it’s added…

If it’s a copy-paste Su-30SM2 with less drag, less cms, but R-77M it might be sub par.

But if Gaijin buggers it up it could get AESA and Izd. 177.

Shame we were wrong on those 240ish large cal CMs though…

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I don’t think when gaijin adds these new missiles, they’ll give the 30SM2 R-77Ms. I think it’ll be (at least for a while) the same situation as the F-16 ADFs before they received AMRAAM and a BR bump. If not, then there isn’t no reason to grind for the Su-35 (outside of personal preference, I’m definitely getting it) if the Su-30SM2 will get the same weapons.

I’m still of the opinion that in a great Thanos-like reset:

  • Su-27SM gets an upgraded model based on the Su-27SM3, so no more dual R-77 racks under belly but 2 additional pylons on the wings. Alternatively, they can do what they did with the MiG-29: a normal Su-27SM and an “upgraded” (really just the same jet with 2 more R-77) Su-27SM3.
  • Su-30SM2 loses the Irbis E and instead has the improved Bars radar it should’ve had

Things like the dual R-77 racks on 30SM is shaky at best, so I can’t really advocate for their removal there either.

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Or course. The EFT isn’t fr*nch, so naturally it’s better

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German EF with ECRS MK.1 step 1 and EF EK step 1 stuff is gonna be peak (and at some point AMK and the wide Display cockpit)

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Why though?

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Cause upgraded radar(this will do nothing ingame tho cause no info and mainly Software improvements) ,sead and new Ew System, amk will help FM and wide display ipad cockpit, most of this will be on the T4 or Quadriga or P4E whatever you wanna call it for germany

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30

Arexis is probably some of the best ECM in the world at the moment found on the Gripen E, but is also being installed on the German EK Typhoons.

AMK will be a notable step up for all the Typhoons in terms of FM

Striker II + the new cockpit just looks really good and we all know style points make a major impact in terms of performance

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Arexis is also planned for the T4 germany is receiving afaik aka EF EK step 1

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Ive only heard so far its planned for the EKs, though I also dont follow it too closely

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Everything that’s from the US, Britain/France, China or Russia

Specifically the Rafale with Meteors, MICA IR NG, and IRIST would probably kill the game

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Not at home but there a doc saying the T4/P4E are supposed to receive EF EK step 1

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I thought that was just the ECRS Mk1 upgrades

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What 4.5 gen US and Chinese jet would be better then a Eurofighter or Rafale? Tbh I don’t even except them to be any good until 5th gen is added (Also I could only see US being good once AIM-260 enters service and is added or support aircraft like AWACS are added)

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The translation isnt great, but doesnt seem to explicitly state anything about Arexis for the bulk of the German EFT fleet. I read it more like its referring to the intergration of things such as Brimstone 3

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Well ef ek step 1 includes arexis shouldve specified that but i am not on my pc, step 2 is Escort jamming btw. Ill see if i can find the doc on my phone