Chapter 129: Radar Selection (Part I)

As expected, Marconi readily agreed that purchasing ejection seats would present no issue whatsoever. Since they were already willing to sell avionics and the RB199 engine, there was no reason to withhold a mere ejection seat.

Hearing that the new aircraft would be equipped with ejection seats from Martin-Baker, currently the most reliable brand in the world, Prince Sultan grinned from ear to ear.

"Excellent! Equipping the new aircraft with such reliable ejection seats shows our money is well spent. Keep going, keep going, I'm listening. Let's see what other good things we can put on it."

The Saudi tycoon was agreeable in almost every way, except for his habit of speaking out of turn. The negotiations were just hitting their stride, and his sudden interruption felt as jarring as swallowing a fly. Yet, neither negotiating party could show the slightest annoyance. After all, this wealthy Saudi was the investor and buyer of the new aircraft. With his immense generosity, no defense contractor could afford to offend such a prime cash cow.

Chief Designer Yu replied with a smile, "Of course. Since we have received the funding for development, it is only natural that we produce a top-tier trainer. That is our absolute duty, so Your Highness may rest assured."

Seeing that the preliminary agreement for importing the ejection seats had been reached to the satisfaction of both parties, the detailed negotiations for the seats could be left to their subordinates.

"Now that we have established a general intent for the ejection seats, let us discuss the other equipment we need to import. We should exchange views on those first."

The next topic of discussion was the centerpiece of this procurement package: the trainer's radar. For the new aircraft, relying solely on a basic ranging radar like the one on the old J-7 would no longer suffice. With such a spacious nose cone, it would be embarrassing not to fit it with a decent radar.

"We now require a radar, but the options on the list either exceed our performance requirements or are somewhat obsolete. Therefore, we need to adjust our radar selection."

Radar technology was indeed a weak point for the Republic. Before the 1980s, their airborne radars served almost exclusively for ranging; weapon guidance was out of the question. Although Britain, a pioneer in radar technology, actually produced fairly average radars, they were still vastly superior to what the Republic could offer.

Marconi had not expected the Republic to be so picky. It was rather insulting that they looked down on the radar of the Great British Empire. George wanted to see exactly what kind of radar they required; if absolutely necessary, they could modify it to meet their needs.

"Why is that? We have provided so many radar options. In my opinion, the Blue Fox radar used by the Sea Harrier is the most suitable. Its overall performance is ideal for a trainer aircraft. A trainer does not require extreme radar performance, but it does need multi-functionality, and the Blue Fox fits the bill perfectly."

The Blue Fox radar did indeed seem to be the most suitable option for the new trainer. The design of this radar was finalized in 1981, after which it was promptly sent to the battlefields of the Falklands War.

The Blue Fox's performance in the Falklands was mediocre. Its greatest flaw was the lack of a look-down capability, which allowed Argentine aircraft to successfully penetrate at low altitudes and strike the British with Exocet missiles. Consequently, Britain developed the powerful Blue Vixen radar to replace it.

Aside from its lack of look-down capability, the Blue Fox was otherwise a decent system. As a fleet air defense radar, it could be used for both aerial interception and maritime strikes.

It featured modes for search, tracking, attack, weapon aiming, and navigational correction. Against aerial targets, it could support tail-chase attacks and even launch guided medium-range missiles. It could also deploy air-to-surface weapons, utilizing radar data to guide weapon release. Packing such excellent capabilities into such a compact radar was a remarkable feat.

While its performance was decent, its main selling point in the 1980s was its low cost. The British had deliberately omitted look-down capability during its development simply to keep the price down.

Indeed, the radar was highly cost-effective, featuring a simple structure and low manufacturing costs. Its development costs had also been incredibly low, as the British had designed the Blue Fox by simply optimizing the helicopter-borne Seaspray radar.

Taking everything into account, the resulting radar was actually quite good. Its sole major flaw was the lack of look-down capability, but for a trainer aircraft, it was more than adequate.

If the new aircraft were to serve strictly as a trainer, both the Navy and the Air Force would have gladly accepted a radar that far outperformed any domestic equivalent.

However, domestic planners had other ambitions for the new aircraft, making it impossible to overlook the radar's lack of look-down capability. In the 1980s, the nation faced a tense military standoff with the Soviet Union along the northern border. To intercept the Soviet Tu-22M3 bombers, a radar without look-down capability was practically useless.

At the time, the Soviet Union's primary bomber, the Tu-22M3, excelled at low-altitude, supersonic penetration. This was a grave threat to the nation. Without a viable interception method, the entire northern region—including the capital—stood exposed.

As for the Navy, asking them to purchase a radar that had failed so publicly in the Falklands War seemed out of the question. Yet, history has a way of being ironic; the Navy would eventually acquire this radar anyway, due to a complex web of reasons.

Chief Designer Yu actually thought highly of the radar as well. It was lightweight and offered acceptable performance, making it a reasonable fit for a fighter-trainer.

"I also think highly of this radar," Chief Designer Yu said. "The only drawback is its lack of look-down capability, which is our greatest concern. If it could be upgraded to include look-down capability, we would definitely purchase it."

Chief Designer Yu made it sound easy, but George felt like weeping. Adding look-down capability was no simple feat. The Blue Fox was fundamentally a second-generation radar, and like almost all of its peers, it lacked look-down capabilities. Furthermore, its legacy architecture meant that any attempt at a major redesign was economically unfeasible.

Although George wanted to accommodate Chief Designer Yu's request, he knew that even Britain had abandoned the system. Why bother upgrading it?

"Mr. Yu, to be completely frank, the core architecture of this radar is not suited for an upgrade to include look-down capability. The Royal Navy has already abandoned further development on it and has begun designing a brand-new primary combat radar."

George's candid admission left Chief Designer Yu deep in thought. If the British themselves had abandoned a radar they had only recently finalized to start from scratch, then the Blue Fox was indeed a white elephant.

"If that is the case, we will have to look at other options. Perhaps we can find something more suitable."

Hoping to find a better alternative, Chief Designer Yu called a temporary recess. He needed to track down a radar that could truly match the performance of the new fighter-trainer.

Yang Hui understood what Chief Designer Yu was thinking. In truth, the development of the new aircraft was aimed at producing a fighter; the "trainer" designation was merely a cover. Everyone at the base knew it, the military knew it, and even the Pakistani partners had seen through the ruse. Yet, Pakistan had not withdrawn its funding, which spoke volumes about their stance.

Leaving the meeting room, Chief Designer Yu quickly found a telephone to report the disappointing news to the General Staff. The voice on the other end hesitated. After all, the radar selection would directly affect the crucial future transition from a two-seater trainer back to a single-seat fighter. There was no room for error.

"Do you have any alternative proposals?" the General Staff officer asked. "If so, let me hear them. I will consult the Navy and the Air Force immediately and get back to you this afternoon. I know you are pressed for time in these negotiations."

Chief Designer Yu was also at a loss. High-quality, lightweight, multi-functional radars were rare on the international market. The only viable alternatives were in France—the RDM and RDI radars used by the Mirage 2000 offered excellent performance, but they were prohibitively expensive and somewhat too heavy.

Unable to come up with a suitable alternative, Chief Designer Yu could only reply honestly, "I have no good recommendations. There are currently no radars on the international market that meet our requirements and are available for export."

Armed with comprehensive intelligence, the General Staff understood the dilemma. Indeed, there were far too few radars that fit the new aircraft's specifications. They feared that, in the end, they might have no choice but to settle for a second-generation radar.