Subject: RE: FW: IRBIS E - 08-02-18 Releasable LM Response to Kopp & Goon Questions

[sec=unclassified] [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
From: "Dr Carlo Kopp PEng [Home Office]" <Carlo.Kopp@iinet.net.au>
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:28:25 +0000
To: "Gumley, Steve DR" <Steve.Gumley@defence.gov.au>
CC: Peter A Goon <The.Firm@internode.on.net>

Dear Dr Gumley,

Peter has graciously passed on to me the LM response concerning my parametric

range curve chart including the Irbis E radar. I have to admit I am a little perplexed
with their response, insofar as the chart is the type of material a third year electrical
engineering undergraduate should have no difficulty with.

In terms of validation, the source material for the chart can be found here (you
might need to enable Russian Cyrillic UTF-8 fonts on your computer):

1. РЛСУ "Ирбис-Э" - радар нового поколения - "Аэрокосмическое обозрение", №1, 2006,

стр.20-22
2. "Ирбис" готовиться к прыжку - "Авиасалоны мира", №5, 2006, стр.22-25
3. Владимир Ильин - Рождение АФАР - "Аэрокосмическое обозрение", №4, 2005,
стр.108-111
4. С.Д.Бодрунов, Ю.И.Белый, В.А.Таганцев, Ю.И.Зеленюк - «Панда» займет нишу
многофункциональных БРЛС на период разработки радиолокационных систем пятого
поколения" - "Мир авионики", №3, 2003, стр.19-20
5. Синани А.И., Белый Ю.И. - "Электронное сканирование в системах управления вооружением
истребителей"- "Мир авионики", №1, 2002, стр.23-28

These are largely authored by senior engineers at the NIIP Tikhomirov plant (Beliy, Bodrunov, Il'in,
Tagantsev) - NIIP Tikhomirov are the Russian counterparts to the US NorthGrum and Raytheon radar
houses. I have merely plotted their cited performance figures. Now if the LM folks do not believe what
NIIP Tikhomirov are saying about the Irbis E, they can always punch the raw radar parameters in
(aperture area, TR module noise figure - this a hybrid array with AESA style receive path, peak power - all
public), make some reasonable assumptions about aperture taper function and transmit feed loss, and get a
separate estimate to the NIIP Tikhomirov data.

I have genuine concerns about the observables performance of the JSF and Super Hornet when confronted
with a 20 kiloWatt peak power radar like the Irbis E - NIIP Tikhomirov were very blunt in stating their
design aim of matching the range/footprint performance of the top US radar, the APG-77(V)1 in the
F-22A. With radar power aperture in this class you need exceptional VLO performance to get tactically
credible effect, and there is nothing in either JSF or Super Hornet designs which has convinced me - or
any of my US colleagues - that the JSF and Super Hornet are in this bracket.

It is not clear to me that the LM folks who produced the response were qualified in the area. My research
background in this area is quite deep and long running, I did a decent chunk of my doctoral project in
AESA design theory years ago, I was an invited contributor to Skolnik's Radar Handbook third edition
(Ch 5 - refer https://www.scitechpublishing.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=408),
have done studies on RCS reduction techniques, and published some landmark papers on electromagnetic
weapons, including one very recently (refer http://www.argospress.com/jbt/Volume10/10-3-4.htm).

I would really love to know who the cited LM's 'best radar technologists in the US' are since none of my
colleagues in the US radar community had any issues with the chart in question! Radar range equation 101
stuff. If LM wish to dispute the performance of the Irbis E that is something they will have to take up with

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RE: FW: IRBIS E - 08-02-18 Releasable LM Response to Kopp & Go... mailbox:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Peter/Application%20D...

the Tikhomirov NIIP engineering folks - who are no dummies. Some years ago I had occasion to talk shop
with Dr Vladimir Kucher, chief design engineer at Phazotron NIIP, Tikhomirov's principal competitor.
Kucher was research lead on the first Russian production AESA for the MiG-35, unveiled last year, and I
can assure you that Kucher is no dummy.

Given that you are now on the Fighter Review steering committee, you might consider getting the above
Russian material translated for the strategic / capability survey component.

Cheers,

Carlo

Dr Carlo Kopp, MIEEE, SMAIAA, PEng

Defence Analyst and Consulting Engineer
Head, Capability Research, Air Power Australia:
http://www.ausairpower.net/
Email: Carlo.Kopp@iinet.net.au
Ph: +61-3-9548-1585
Cell: +61-437-478-224

Air Power Australia - Australia's Independent Defence Think Tank

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