Raytheon AESA Radar Navigates Smoothly Through Flight
Tests
A revolutionary Raytheon radar that scans the skies at nearly
the speed of light is navigating through flight tests aboard the US
Navy F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet in anticipation of operational
readiness by September 2006.
In its first year of developmental flight testing, the APG-79
Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system has
successfully completed more than 80 flights aboard three Super
Hornet aircraft from test squadron VX-31 "Dust Devils" at the Naval
Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake. The first seven of the
radar's many operating modes were successfully demonstrated on the
first attempt in flight: real-beam map; synthetic aperture radar
(SAR); air-to-air search; air-to-air track; passive; sea-surface
search; and ground-moving target.
"The Navy is extremely pleased to see the APG-79 radar in
action," said US Navy F/A-18 Program Manager Capt. Donald "BD"
Gaddis. "After its first year in flight test, we're just beginning
to see the system's true potential. So far, the radar is
demonstrating amazing situational awareness for Super Hornet
aircrew," he said.
When the APG-79 enters service in 2006, Super Hornet aviators
for the first time will be able to conduct air-to-air and
air-to-ground operations simultaneously. The agile AESA beam,
traveling at almost the speed of light, can be redirected
instantaneously from one target to another for maximum mission
flexibility on cruise. The system also allows the aircraft to
detect and track multiple targets at much greater distance. This
advantage permits the crew to persistently observe targets and
launch weapons from their maximum range, both significant
protective measures. The APG-79 AESA system represents a giant leap
forward in technology that significantly improves warfighter
capabilities compared to the current Super Hornet radar, according
to Wes Motooka, vice president for Raytheon Space and Airborne
Systems, whose organization produces the system. "Because our AESA
radar uses solid-state technology with no moving parts, its
performance and reliability far exceeds systems that scan
mechanically," Motooka said. "And its ability to connect with
on-board and off-board sensors using MIDS and Link 16 will assure
the Super Hornet's role in network-centric operations," he
said.
The radar was developed in record time by a team at Raytheon
Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) that worked with the Navy and
prime contractor Boeing, which builds the aircraft. The program has
met every major acquisition milestone to date.
"The APG-79 AESA system represents some of the finest hours in
Raytheon's 80-plus-year history," SAS President Jack R. Kelble
said. "Everything in this system, from the array in the front,
through the software that operates the radar, to the processor in
the back, is new. We're extremely pleased with the radar's
performance so far."
The APG-79 is the first entirely new airborne radar built by
Raytheon in three decades. The new system will equip the F/A-18E/F
Super Hornet and the E/A-18G, an electronic attack variant. The
radar also meets requirements in all facets of the Navy's
transformation initiative, SeaPower 21.