Quote Originally Posted by JSR View Post
even the Zhuk-M equiped MIG-29M from late 1990s have 130km range. now with more power supply and Zhuk-M1 and soonM2 . it is well beyond those numbers in MIG-29K.

that was in 2009. Show me Rafale AESA radar range in 2009?
The RBE2 PESA reportedly offers a tracking range of around 100 km against a 3 sqm target. Rafale pilots report that the detection range of the RBE2 matches that of the RDY radar fitted to the Mirage 2000-5F. The RDY reportedly offers a detection range of 130-140 km against a 5 sqm target. Considering the difference in target RCS and range performance in search and track, the original RBE2 already matched the performance of the Zhuk-MAE and Zhuk-M. What you ignore is that the Zhuk-MAE demonstrator retaining the Zhuk-M backend, had a reduced antenna diameter of just 600 mm vs 680 mm of the slotted array. Aperture is important for range performance as well and likely the reason why this earlier Zhuk-A prototype didn't fared to well. A "detection range of 148 km against aerial target" tells you nothing about the target's relative RCS and is subsequently meaningless. The proposed production version of the Zhuk-A/AE features an increased antenna diameter of 700 mm with ~60% more TRMs and if more powr could be squeezed out of the generators and more powerful/efficient modules would be fitted to the production model of the Zhuk-A the range might be increased considerably. Phasotron previously stated detection ranges up to 200 km for the Zhuk-A, but that's years ago and before the radar actually existed. The RBE2AA AESA radar reportedly offers a 40-50% increase in range performance over the RBE2 PESA which would translate into a detection range of at least 180 km against a 5 sqm target, if not more. To cut it short the Zhuk prototype trialed by the Indians may well have failed in the tests, but a fully developed production variant shouldn't have any issues to meet and exceed this range requirement. RBE2AA certainly passed the tests and was superior to the Zhuk demonstrator at that time. This might change in terms of raw range performance if the Zhuk-A/AE production variant delivers what it promises.