(cont)
In a video released by LETRI in early November, we also learn that the new AESA radar has already made its first tests on one of the prototypes of FC-1, the famous "06". The AVIC Radarist highlights two flagship features of its LKF601E, the first being full air cooling, which significantly reduces system weight and the need for rewiring, and the second is to replace the existing radar on the device without major modification, what LETRI calls "In-Situ replacement".
Installation of the LKF601E radar on one of the FC-1 prototypes | Pictures: AVIC LETRI
For its part, NRIET, the main radar designer in China who already equips many fighters like the J-10C and the J-20 with its AESA radars, also comes to the Zhuhai show with two novelties, all derived from its KLJ- 7A known for two years.
The first is an active antenna radar mounted on a pivotable device, which offers a much wider field of vision than a fixed flat-face radar, like the VIXEN or RAVEN ES-05 radars designed by Selex Galileo. Instead of seeing in a cone of ± 60 °, this mechano-electronic hybrid scanning radar is capable of scanning in a wider field to ± 100 °, reaching a small part of the rear half-sphere.
Although NRIET did not give any details on this variant of KLJ-7A which it calls "KLJ-7A Mechanical-Electronic Scan", one can at least rely on the basic version to extrapolate and know its performances.
It is an AESA radar with more than 1000 transmitters and receivers, with at least 11 operating modes and a range of 170 km on targets of 5 m² SER, and capable of tracking 15 different targets and engage 4 simultaneously. The antennas are of "Notch" type installed in a brick architecture, unlike the "Patch" or "Slot" type that we have already seen on some Chinese PESA and AESA embedded radars. This shape generates a greater beam width and also a better gain.
It can be seen that the basic LKF601E and KLJ-7A have many of their identical characteristics, but there is not enough detail for a complete comparison.
KLJ-7A Hybrid Scan Scanning Electromechanical | Photo © East Pendulum
The second variant of KLJ-7A that NRIET introduced this year for the first time is a system with not only one but three antennas, the main pointing forward and two others, smaller, towards the lateral sides.
The general idea resembles what the Russian Su-57 has today, with its AESA N036B side radars, or what was planned in Block 30 of the F / A-22A, namely side-view radars. The objective is to offer an even larger field of vision and this at any time, to reach 300 °, ie ± 150 ° for the plane. Only the rear cone of ± 60 ° remains "blind".
Note that the Chinese manufacturer has not used much to give it a name: "KLJ-7A Three Faces", a sign that it is also a product derived from the basic KLJ-7A.
As with the swivel disk version, NRIET did not provide any data on this version of KLJ-7A either. Radar personnel at Zhuhai simply indicated that it is the high-end variant of the product, and that the "customer" preferred the cheaper solution, implying the hybrid scan version.
KLJ-7A radar "Three Plans" | Photos © East Pendulum
Which of these three radars (actually four) EASA will win in the JF-17 Block III program? Without being behind the scenes it would seem that the "KLJ-7A Electro-Electronic Scanning" is the solution chosen, if we believe in NRIET staff. This choice seems reasonable because it is probably the one that best reconciles the cost, the energy management, the logistics continuity and the desired performance for the Pakistan Air Force.
As for the LKF601E, the fact that LETRI only placed "FC-1" and not "JF-17" on the Zhuhai presentation sign suggests that it would remain at the proposal stage for the moment. AVIC would eventually market the future retrofit upgrade for JF-17's Block I and II, which were still produced for a hundred or so devices.
To be continued.
