Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 - (Page 26)

RADARS, SENSORS & MISSILES FA R N B O R O U G H 2 0 0 8 Raytheon ‘Small Shot’ Missile on Predator AESA Radars: They’re Good, But Not That Good Everyone agrees that AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radars are a “must have” for all future fighters. The advantages they bring to air combat are undeniable, in terms of range and the speed and accuracy with which they can track a high number of targets. At the same time the cheerleaders for AESAs have oversold the technology when it comes to more esoteric capabilities like “electronic attack.” Claims made for fighter-sized AESAs as being weapons in their own right are not credible. Mike Gibbons, now Boeing’s EA-18G Growler program manager, has some good insight into what AESAs are—and are not—capable of. “The importance of an AESA,” he tells Show Mike Gibbons. News, “is in the 50-mile bracket with the ‘wiggling’ targets. These are the aircraft that can maneuver and break the lock of a mechanical radar. An AESA keeps them locked.” Long-range performance is not the issue he says, rather it is maintaining a lock on targets in the area where the “work” (i.e. shooting) is done. As for AESAs in an offensive role, Gibbons says they have a role, but only a limited one. “Electronic protection is a growth capability for AESAs but it doesn’t come naturally. AESAs are not full-spectrum devices. They work in a critical bandwidth but it’s a small bandwidth. “Despite what you might read about AESAs doing electronic attack—they can’t.” —Robert Hewson Raytheon’s Griffin air-to-surface missile, which it developed as a private venture, has been deployed on the Predator UAV by an unidentified U.S. customer. The Griffin is a 45-lb, 42-in-long tubelaunched missile with semi-active laser guidance, and provides the Predator with an organic, self-targeted direct attack capability. Raytheon was awarded a $9.3 million contract to supply the weapons in early May. Up to three of the low-cost missiles can be loaded for every Hellfire the Predator now carries. Raytheon also will demonstrate a guided firing of the U.S. Navy-developed Spike fire-and-forget missile from its KillerBee small tactical UAV later this year. as 100th F/A-18 AESA Delivered On July 1, Raytheon (Chalet B7-12) delivered its 100th APG-79 active electronically scanned array radar system to Boeing and the U.S. Navy for the F/A-18 and EA-18G Growler. The first operational deployment of an APG-79-equipped F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II squadron is in progress. The first EA-18G to sport the radar was delivered to the U.S. Navy on June 3. Raytheon is under contract to deliver 437 of the systems to the Navy. APG-79 has been selected for the F-15C, F-15E, F/A-18E/F and EA-18G. It is approved for export to international customers such as Singapore and Australia, and is a candidate for the F/A-18 entry in India's fighter competition. and ATFLIR Pod Wins First Foreign Orders Raytheon has received a $62 million U.S. Navy order to provide its Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared pod to the air forces of Australia and Switzerland. The sale calls for delivery of 18 ATFLIR systems for the Royal Australian Air Force’s new F/A-18 F Block II+ Super Hornets. Raytheon will also provide one ATFLIR pod to Switzerland as part of an F/A-18C upgrade. The order allows Switzerland to purchase up to 14 more pods in 2009. ITT Wins $44.9 Million Swedish Radar Deal ITT (Hall 2, Stand A8) has signed a $44.9 million contract with the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV) for the Reliability and Modification (REMO) upgrade of its PS-870 coastal/gapfiller radar systems. ITT will equip the radars with state-of-the-art processing, transmitter, antenna and display technologies, using commercial off-the-shelf equipment. This work is a key component in modernizing Sweden’s national air defense program. Additional options could bring the total contract value to greater than $58 million. The PS-870 radar system was first delivered to Sweden in the 1980s and is a key component in modernizing its national air defense program. 1000th IRIS-T Guided Missile Delivered At the beginning of June, Diehl BGT Defence delivered the 1,000th IRIS-T series guided missile to Germany’s Federal Agency of Defence and Procurement (BWB), which acts as customer on behalf of the six participating program nations: Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Spain. IRIS-T was selected as standard for the Eurofighter, F-16, F/A-18, Gripen and T ornado. Prime contractor Diehl coordinates an industrial consortium comprising 12 partner companies. The missile’s integration in the respective aircraft types is almost completed. Sixty successful test and trial firings have been conducted so far with IRIS-T in different air forces. For LITEF Read Northrop Grumman LITEF Northrop Grumman (Chalet A1-5) has changed the name of its Freiburg, Germany-based navigation systems subsidiary, LITEF GmbH, to Northrop Grumman LITEF GmbH. The change has been made “to enhance its visibility in the international market and strengthen its identity with the global defense and technology company.” Northrop Grumman LITEF supplies inertial sensors, inertial reference, and inertial navigation systems and computers, with products deployed in more than 30 countries throughout the world in aircraft, land vehicles and ships. The company also offers fiber-optic gyroscope products for aircraft, marine vessels and ground mobile applications. 26 July 14, 2008 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 Contents Thirty More Years CFM Reveals New Engine Boeing Reduces Forecast UAVs’ Quiet Revolution Finmeccanica: U.S. Success A Plethora of AESAs BAE North America Plus L-3 Becomes a Prime Better Late Than Never A Peek Behind the Curtain China’s J-10 Revealed Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner Breaking LM’s Hegemony

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

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