Thales Spectra
Encyclopedia
The Thales SPECTRA is an integrated defensive aids suite developed by Thales Group
for the Dassault Rafale
series of fighter aircraft.
All elements of the Thales SPECTRA system are built into the airframe, and have high levels of automation and system integration. SPECTRA includes radar detectors, laser warning receiver
s and infrared
missile approach warning. Active elements of the system include chaff and flare dispensers, and radio frequency jamming. SPECTRA also has ELINT functions, for recording and analysing the characteristics of hostile emitters and their locations.
Thales Group and Dassault Aviation
have mentioned stealthy jamming modes for the SPECTRA system, to reduce the aircraft's apparent radar signature. It is not known exactly how these work or even if the capability is fully operational, but it may employ active cancellation technology, such as has been tested by Thales and MBDA
. Active cancellation is supposed to work by sampling and analysing incoming radar and feeding it back to the hostile emitter out of phase thus cancelling out the returning radar echo.
Future upgrades of the system will include the ability to datalink several Rafales together, sharing SPECTRA data among various units of a fighter group.
Thales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
for the Dassault Rafale
Dassault Rafale
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine delta-wing multi-role jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Introduced in 2000, the Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations with the French Navy...
series of fighter aircraft.
All elements of the Thales SPECTRA system are built into the airframe, and have high levels of automation and system integration. SPECTRA includes radar detectors, laser warning receiver
Laser warning receiver
A laser warning receiver is a type of warning system used as a passive military defence. It detects laser emission from laser guidance systems and laser rangefinders. Then it alerts the crew and can start various countermeasures, like smoke wall, aerosol screen A laser warning receiver is a type of...
s and infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
missile approach warning. Active elements of the system include chaff and flare dispensers, and radio frequency jamming. SPECTRA also has ELINT functions, for recording and analysing the characteristics of hostile emitters and their locations.
Thales Group and Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets, a subsidiary of Dassault Group.It was founded in 1930 by Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch or "MB". After World War II, Marcel Bloch changed his name to Marcel Dassault, and the name of the...
have mentioned stealthy jamming modes for the SPECTRA system, to reduce the aircraft's apparent radar signature. It is not known exactly how these work or even if the capability is fully operational, but it may employ active cancellation technology, such as has been tested by Thales and MBDA
MBDA
MBDA is a missile developer and manufacturer with operations in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and the United States. It was formed by a merger of Aérospatiale-Matra Missiles , Finmeccanica and Matra BAe Dynamics in December 2001. In 2003 the company had 10,000 employees...
. Active cancellation is supposed to work by sampling and analysing incoming radar and feeding it back to the hostile emitter out of phase thus cancelling out the returning radar echo.
Future upgrades of the system will include the ability to datalink several Rafales together, sharing SPECTRA data among various units of a fighter group.
See also
- Dassault NeuronDassault NeuronThe Dassault nEUROn is an experimental Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle being developed with international cooperation, led by the French company Dassault Aviation.-Description:...
- Thales Group - Spectra
- MBDA Systems - Spectra