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FIGHTER RADARS SPECIAL REPORT 2010
Flightglobal Insight is the research division of Flightglobal, the worlds longest established aviation publishing group. This special report is published by Flightglobal Insight and brought to you in association with Raytheon.
Fighter radar technology
Overview of the key fighter radars in production incorporating detailed manufacturer profiles for Elbit Systems, Elta Systems, Euroradar, Northrop Grumman, Phazotron, Raytheon, Selex Galileo, Thales and Tikhomirov NIIP.
New build fighters
Fighter aircraft in production with comprehensive fleet analysis, aircraft profiles including specifications and
associated radar technology. Also featured in this section is a selection of general arrangements and cutaways
from Flightglobals unique image library. Aircraft include: Eurofighter, F-15E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, F-22, F-35, Gripen, Mig-35, Rafale, Su-30 and Su-35.
Fighter radar upgrades
Detailed information on radar upgrades for fighter aircraft.
Fighter radar technology
Evolution of the fighter aircraft spans four generations, beginning with the first generation focus on aircraft manoeuvrability,
followed by a second generation with the spotlight on speed and the subsequent advancement of aircraft engine technology. The next generation saw attention shift to airborne weaponry and the development of missiles, we currently see the main focus firmly on radar technology.
The 1960s saw the introduction of the first generation radar, a
mechanically scanned radar equipped with a single X-Band transmitter.
The scanning movement of traditional mechanical radars limited the frequency of target updates the pilot could receive and
technological advances saw the emergence of a second generation
- active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar technology
which has now become the industry benchmark. In fact AESA radars
have the potential of jamming other X-Band fighter radars
and this technology also opens the future possibility of electronic
attacks.
AESA radars are composed of small solid-state transmit/receive
modules where each module acts like a small individual radar.
Raytheon designed, built and installed the first production AESA on
a F-15C with the AN/APG-63(V)2 which was operationally fielded
December 2000 in Alaska.
AESA radars can send multiple beams simultaneously using a
search while track mode. As well as having the ability to track
many targets while searching the airspace, AESAs can produce
radar maps of the ground using Synthetic Aperture Radar technology.
The third main feature of AESA radars is the Ground Moving Target Indication mode. As opposed to mechanically scanned radars, AESA radars are normally fixed, but manufacturer Selex Galileo has recently tested a swashplate model.
Northrop and Raytheon primarily compete for sales in the fighter market for AESA technology, but the two firms also collaborate
on wide area surveillance radars, such as the multi-platform radar technology insertion programme sensor under development for the unmanned Northrop RQ-4 Global Hawk.
It has become essential for new build fighters to be equipped with active electronically scanned array radar technology. Bob Mason, vice-president marketing and sales for Selex Galileo, recently told Flightglobal that it was crucial for the Eurofighter Typhoon to upgrade with an E-scan radar for the export market.
In the future, AESA radars will increasingly be relied on to provide versatility and speed, as well as much greater range, resolution and reliability for carrying out a multitude of searching, mapping and targeting missions.
Radar model Radar manufacturer Aircraft manufacturer Aircraft type
AN/APG-63(V).. Raytheon............. Boeing...................... F-15
AN/APG-63(V)...Raytheon............. Boeing...................... F-15C
AN/APG-63(V)...Raytheon............. Boeing...................... F-15
AN/APG-68(V)...Northrop Grumman.Lockheed Martin..... F-16
AN/APG-77....... Northrop Grumman. LM/Boeing............. F-22 Raptor
AN/APG-79....... Raytheon..............Boeing...................... F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
AN/APG-80....... Northrop Grumman. LM......................... F-16 Fighting Falcon
AN/APG-81....... Northrop Grumman. Lockheed Martin...... F-35 Lightning II
AN/APG-82(V)...Raytheon............... Boeing..................... F-15E Strike Eagle
Captor...............Euroradar............... Eurofighter............... Typhoon
Irbis-E............... Tikhomirov NIIP...... Sukhoi..................... Su-30MKI
N011M Bars...... Tikhomirov NIIP...... Sukhoi..................... Su-35BM
PS-05/A............ Ericsson................. Saab........................ JAS 39 Gripen
RACR ................Raytheon................ Multiple.................... Multiple
RBE2................ Thales..................... Dassault................... Rafale
SABR................ Northrop Grumman. Multiple.................... Multiple
Zhuk-AE............ Phazotron............... RSK.......................... MiG M
ELBIT SYSTEMS
Elta Systems is a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries. Elta products are designed for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance, Airborne Early Warning & Control, Homeland Security, Self-Protection and Self-Defence, and fire control applications.
The EL/M-2032 radar was designed for multimission fighters, oriented for both air-to-air and surface strike missions. IAI is currently installing the sensor on secondhand Kfir fighters for the Colombian air force.
The EL/M-2052 is an AESA radar which offers air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea operating modes. South Korea has selected the EL/M-2032 for the F/A-50 light attack and trainer jet, which is produced by Korea Aerospace Industries in partnership with Lockheed Martin.
The United States is against promotion of Israeli AESA radars for products that are competing with US aircraft because they contain American technologies.
Elbit Systems is a defence electronics manufacturer and systems integrator. Established in 1967, and based in Haifa, Israel, Elbit has over 10,000 employees.
Elbit has earned international recognition in the aircraft upgrade market on types including the F-4, F-5, F-16, IAR-99, L-39, MiG-21 and Su-25.
EURORADAR
The Euroradar consortium consists of Selex Galileo, EADS Defence &
Security and Indra. Euroradars Captor is a mechanically scanned radar which is still used on the Eurofighter Typhoon. Selex produces over 50% of the Captor system. EADS conducted test flights with the Euroradar Caesar active array using a Eurofighter development aircraft in 2007, and Selex has also previously supplied AESA systems to the UK Ministry of Defence for evaluation in fast jet types such as the Panavia Tornado. Provisions for an AESA array could be made during Tranche 3A production of the Eurofighter for Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
Was created by Northrop Grummans acquisition of Westinghouse Electronic Systems Group in 1996. The Electronic Systems sector is a designer, developer and manufacturer of advanced defence electronics and systems. The division has 120 locations worldwide, including 72 international offices, and approximately 24,000 employees.
Northrop Grumman produces a series of AESA fire control radars: the
AN/APG-77 for the F-22 Raptor, the AN/APG-80 for the F-16 and the
AN/APG-81 for the F-35 Lightning II.
The Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) is the latest addition to
Northrops family of AESA radars. It is based on the APG-80 with improvements. While designed initially to fit the F-16 with no structural, power or cooling modifications, the SABR is scalable to fit other aircraft platforms and mission areas.
The SABR was flown in a Northrop-owned Sabreliner testbed on the
16 November 2008 from Baltimore, Maryland, and detected numerous aerial targets during the sortie.
As of November 2009, the SABR system was not approved by US export control officials for the export market.
Northrop is to meet with Alenia Aermacchi regarding installing the SABR on the M-346 trainer. Export controls would not be an immediate issue in this case because the aircraft are intended for sale to the US Air Force, which may consider the M-346 to replace its Northrop T-38s.
PHAZOTRON
Phazotron is a Russian company which develops and produces
multiple technology systems including radars and radar weapon
and defence control systems for aircraft plus gun-missile groundbased
and shipborne air defence systems. Phazotron employs an
estimated 5,000 employees.
The Zhuk-AE AESA radar offers a wider range of operating frequencies, providing more resistance to electronic countermeasures,
increased detection range, more air and ground targets detected,
tracked and able to be engaged simultaneously. The radar is
thought to have a detection range of 160 km for air targets and
300 km for ships.
RAYTHEON
Raytheon is a defence contractor and industrial corporation with core
manufacturing concentration in defence systems and defence and
commercial electronics. The company has around 73,000 employees
worldwide.
Raytheon currently builds the AN/APG-79 AESA for the Boeing F/A-
18E/F Super Hornet and the AN/APG-63(V)2/3 AESA for Boeing F-
15s. Raytheon is also developing the AN/APG-82(V)1 for the US Air
Forces F-15E.
The Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) is the latest
addition to its family of AESA radars. This radar, based on the
combat proven APG-79 that has more than 100,000 hours, is
scalable and suitable for the F-16, F/A-18 and other in-service
fighter aircraft.
As of November 2009, RACR had been approved by US arms
control officials to be marketed to at least two countries.
These are understood to be Greece and Korea, which are both
considering upgrades for their F-16s.
SELEX GALILEO
Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems and Galileo Avionica began operating under the common brand name of Selex Galileo in January 2008. The company is owned by the Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica.
The Vixen 1000E/ES-05 Raven AESA radar was first tested in flight using Saabs Gripen Demo airframe in October 2009. Selex says that flight tests of its new AESA design, which uses a unique swashplate mounting to significantly boost the sensors area of coverage, will also support the technologys possible future integration with the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Early in 2009, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed a desire to equip its Tranche 3A Typhoons with AESA radars, and industry sources say a flight-test programme with the Selex design is expected to take place from 2012.
EADS has previously flown an AESA array on a Eurofighter development aircraft in Germany.
According to Selex, an AESA array could now be produced for the same cost as a mechanically scanned system, but deliver a five to 10-times increase in mean-time between critical failures, reducing maintenance and other through-life support costs.
THALES
Thales is a global technology provider for the aerospace, space, defence, security and transportation markets.
The company operates in 50 countries and has 68,000 employees.
Thales provides equipment and systems including avionics to the
Dassault Rafale. Together, that accounts for approximately one third of the total value of each Rafale. The largest sensor onboard the Rafale is the new generation Thales RBE2 AESA radar.
The RBE2 is described as Europes first AESA radar. It replaces the conventional antenna and its mechanical steering system, and has allowed for greater reliability with respect to previous-generation radars. The RBE2 will give the Rafale the capability to track all targets in the radar field of view, irrespective of the relative location between targets and host aircraft. Other operational benefits include the detection of targets with low radar reflectivity and improved high quality ground imaging. The RBE2s high performance air-to-air detection will make it possible to detect smaller targets and to detect them earlier. The industrialisation phase for the RBE2 was launched in 2006. Final validation of software function is expected to end in the first quarter of 2010, with delivery of the radars to Dassault Aviation
TIKHOMIROV NIIP
Tikhomirov NIIP is one of the major Russian enterprises in the development of weaponry control systems for fighter aircraft and mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile systems.
The N011M Bars radar is fitted on the Sukhoi Su-30. The Bars is the most advanced radar developed by the Russian industry during the 1990s. It is unusual in being designed with a hybrid array arrangement, the receive path using very similar technology to US and European AESAs, with similar sensitivity and sidelobe performance, but using a Travelling Wave Tube and backplane
waveguide feed for the transmit direction, a technology closest to the
Boeing B-1 and early Dassault Rafale radars.
The Tikhomirov Irbis-E radar system has been in development since 2004 and designed for the Su-35 multipurpose fighter aircraft.
Tikhomirov developed the new radar based on the Bars system provided to Su-30MKI/MKM/MKA aircraft. This systems antenna contains more than 1,000 solid transmit/receive modules. The first
radar prototype entered flight tests onboard an Su-30MK2 aircraft acting as a test bed in early 2007. The Irbis-E design is Russias second AESA system, following the Phazotron Zhuk-AE being developed for the MiG-35.
Flightglobal Insight is the research division of Flightglobal, the worlds longest established aviation publishing group. This special report is published by Flightglobal Insight and brought to you in association with Raytheon.
Fighter radar technology
Overview of the key fighter radars in production incorporating detailed manufacturer profiles for Elbit Systems, Elta Systems, Euroradar, Northrop Grumman, Phazotron, Raytheon, Selex Galileo, Thales and Tikhomirov NIIP.
New build fighters
Fighter aircraft in production with comprehensive fleet analysis, aircraft profiles including specifications and
associated radar technology. Also featured in this section is a selection of general arrangements and cutaways
from Flightglobals unique image library. Aircraft include: Eurofighter, F-15E, F-16, F/A-18E/F, F-22, F-35, Gripen, Mig-35, Rafale, Su-30 and Su-35.
Fighter radar upgrades
Detailed information on radar upgrades for fighter aircraft.
Fighter radar technology
Evolution of the fighter aircraft spans four generations, beginning with the first generation focus on aircraft manoeuvrability,
followed by a second generation with the spotlight on speed and the subsequent advancement of aircraft engine technology. The next generation saw attention shift to airborne weaponry and the development of missiles, we currently see the main focus firmly on radar technology.
The 1960s saw the introduction of the first generation radar, a
mechanically scanned radar equipped with a single X-Band transmitter.
The scanning movement of traditional mechanical radars limited the frequency of target updates the pilot could receive and
technological advances saw the emergence of a second generation
- active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar technology
which has now become the industry benchmark. In fact AESA radars
have the potential of jamming other X-Band fighter radars
and this technology also opens the future possibility of electronic
attacks.
AESA radars are composed of small solid-state transmit/receive
modules where each module acts like a small individual radar.
Raytheon designed, built and installed the first production AESA on
a F-15C with the AN/APG-63(V)2 which was operationally fielded
December 2000 in Alaska.
AESA radars can send multiple beams simultaneously using a
search while track mode. As well as having the ability to track
many targets while searching the airspace, AESAs can produce
radar maps of the ground using Synthetic Aperture Radar technology.
The third main feature of AESA radars is the Ground Moving Target Indication mode. As opposed to mechanically scanned radars, AESA radars are normally fixed, but manufacturer Selex Galileo has recently tested a swashplate model.
Northrop and Raytheon primarily compete for sales in the fighter market for AESA technology, but the two firms also collaborate
on wide area surveillance radars, such as the multi-platform radar technology insertion programme sensor under development for the unmanned Northrop RQ-4 Global Hawk.
It has become essential for new build fighters to be equipped with active electronically scanned array radar technology. Bob Mason, vice-president marketing and sales for Selex Galileo, recently told Flightglobal that it was crucial for the Eurofighter Typhoon to upgrade with an E-scan radar for the export market.
In the future, AESA radars will increasingly be relied on to provide versatility and speed, as well as much greater range, resolution and reliability for carrying out a multitude of searching, mapping and targeting missions.
Radar model Radar manufacturer Aircraft manufacturer Aircraft type
AN/APG-63(V).. Raytheon............. Boeing...................... F-15
AN/APG-63(V)...Raytheon............. Boeing...................... F-15C
AN/APG-63(V)...Raytheon............. Boeing...................... F-15
AN/APG-68(V)...Northrop Grumman.Lockheed Martin..... F-16
AN/APG-77....... Northrop Grumman. LM/Boeing............. F-22 Raptor
AN/APG-79....... Raytheon..............Boeing...................... F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
AN/APG-80....... Northrop Grumman. LM......................... F-16 Fighting Falcon
AN/APG-81....... Northrop Grumman. Lockheed Martin...... F-35 Lightning II
AN/APG-82(V)...Raytheon............... Boeing..................... F-15E Strike Eagle
Captor...............Euroradar............... Eurofighter............... Typhoon
Irbis-E............... Tikhomirov NIIP...... Sukhoi..................... Su-30MKI
N011M Bars...... Tikhomirov NIIP...... Sukhoi..................... Su-35BM
PS-05/A............ Ericsson................. Saab........................ JAS 39 Gripen
RACR ................Raytheon................ Multiple.................... Multiple
RBE2................ Thales..................... Dassault................... Rafale
SABR................ Northrop Grumman. Multiple.................... Multiple
Zhuk-AE............ Phazotron............... RSK.......................... MiG M
ELBIT SYSTEMS
Elta Systems is a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries. Elta products are designed for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance, Airborne Early Warning & Control, Homeland Security, Self-Protection and Self-Defence, and fire control applications.
The EL/M-2032 radar was designed for multimission fighters, oriented for both air-to-air and surface strike missions. IAI is currently installing the sensor on secondhand Kfir fighters for the Colombian air force.
The EL/M-2052 is an AESA radar which offers air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea operating modes. South Korea has selected the EL/M-2032 for the F/A-50 light attack and trainer jet, which is produced by Korea Aerospace Industries in partnership with Lockheed Martin.
The United States is against promotion of Israeli AESA radars for products that are competing with US aircraft because they contain American technologies.
Elbit Systems is a defence electronics manufacturer and systems integrator. Established in 1967, and based in Haifa, Israel, Elbit has over 10,000 employees.
Elbit has earned international recognition in the aircraft upgrade market on types including the F-4, F-5, F-16, IAR-99, L-39, MiG-21 and Su-25.
EURORADAR
The Euroradar consortium consists of Selex Galileo, EADS Defence &
Security and Indra. Euroradars Captor is a mechanically scanned radar which is still used on the Eurofighter Typhoon. Selex produces over 50% of the Captor system. EADS conducted test flights with the Euroradar Caesar active array using a Eurofighter development aircraft in 2007, and Selex has also previously supplied AESA systems to the UK Ministry of Defence for evaluation in fast jet types such as the Panavia Tornado. Provisions for an AESA array could be made during Tranche 3A production of the Eurofighter for Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
Was created by Northrop Grummans acquisition of Westinghouse Electronic Systems Group in 1996. The Electronic Systems sector is a designer, developer and manufacturer of advanced defence electronics and systems. The division has 120 locations worldwide, including 72 international offices, and approximately 24,000 employees.
Northrop Grumman produces a series of AESA fire control radars: the
AN/APG-77 for the F-22 Raptor, the AN/APG-80 for the F-16 and the
AN/APG-81 for the F-35 Lightning II.
The Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) is the latest addition to
Northrops family of AESA radars. It is based on the APG-80 with improvements. While designed initially to fit the F-16 with no structural, power or cooling modifications, the SABR is scalable to fit other aircraft platforms and mission areas.
The SABR was flown in a Northrop-owned Sabreliner testbed on the
16 November 2008 from Baltimore, Maryland, and detected numerous aerial targets during the sortie.
As of November 2009, the SABR system was not approved by US export control officials for the export market.
Northrop is to meet with Alenia Aermacchi regarding installing the SABR on the M-346 trainer. Export controls would not be an immediate issue in this case because the aircraft are intended for sale to the US Air Force, which may consider the M-346 to replace its Northrop T-38s.
PHAZOTRON
Phazotron is a Russian company which develops and produces
multiple technology systems including radars and radar weapon
and defence control systems for aircraft plus gun-missile groundbased
and shipborne air defence systems. Phazotron employs an
estimated 5,000 employees.
The Zhuk-AE AESA radar offers a wider range of operating frequencies, providing more resistance to electronic countermeasures,
increased detection range, more air and ground targets detected,
tracked and able to be engaged simultaneously. The radar is
thought to have a detection range of 160 km for air targets and
300 km for ships.
RAYTHEON
Raytheon is a defence contractor and industrial corporation with core
manufacturing concentration in defence systems and defence and
commercial electronics. The company has around 73,000 employees
worldwide.
Raytheon currently builds the AN/APG-79 AESA for the Boeing F/A-
18E/F Super Hornet and the AN/APG-63(V)2/3 AESA for Boeing F-
15s. Raytheon is also developing the AN/APG-82(V)1 for the US Air
Forces F-15E.
The Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) is the latest
addition to its family of AESA radars. This radar, based on the
combat proven APG-79 that has more than 100,000 hours, is
scalable and suitable for the F-16, F/A-18 and other in-service
fighter aircraft.
As of November 2009, RACR had been approved by US arms
control officials to be marketed to at least two countries.
These are understood to be Greece and Korea, which are both
considering upgrades for their F-16s.
SELEX GALILEO
Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems and Galileo Avionica began operating under the common brand name of Selex Galileo in January 2008. The company is owned by the Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica.
The Vixen 1000E/ES-05 Raven AESA radar was first tested in flight using Saabs Gripen Demo airframe in October 2009. Selex says that flight tests of its new AESA design, which uses a unique swashplate mounting to significantly boost the sensors area of coverage, will also support the technologys possible future integration with the Eurofighter Typhoon.
Early in 2009, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed a desire to equip its Tranche 3A Typhoons with AESA radars, and industry sources say a flight-test programme with the Selex design is expected to take place from 2012.
EADS has previously flown an AESA array on a Eurofighter development aircraft in Germany.
According to Selex, an AESA array could now be produced for the same cost as a mechanically scanned system, but deliver a five to 10-times increase in mean-time between critical failures, reducing maintenance and other through-life support costs.
THALES
Thales is a global technology provider for the aerospace, space, defence, security and transportation markets.
The company operates in 50 countries and has 68,000 employees.
Thales provides equipment and systems including avionics to the
Dassault Rafale. Together, that accounts for approximately one third of the total value of each Rafale. The largest sensor onboard the Rafale is the new generation Thales RBE2 AESA radar.
The RBE2 is described as Europes first AESA radar. It replaces the conventional antenna and its mechanical steering system, and has allowed for greater reliability with respect to previous-generation radars. The RBE2 will give the Rafale the capability to track all targets in the radar field of view, irrespective of the relative location between targets and host aircraft. Other operational benefits include the detection of targets with low radar reflectivity and improved high quality ground imaging. The RBE2s high performance air-to-air detection will make it possible to detect smaller targets and to detect them earlier. The industrialisation phase for the RBE2 was launched in 2006. Final validation of software function is expected to end in the first quarter of 2010, with delivery of the radars to Dassault Aviation
TIKHOMIROV NIIP
Tikhomirov NIIP is one of the major Russian enterprises in the development of weaponry control systems for fighter aircraft and mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile systems.
The N011M Bars radar is fitted on the Sukhoi Su-30. The Bars is the most advanced radar developed by the Russian industry during the 1990s. It is unusual in being designed with a hybrid array arrangement, the receive path using very similar technology to US and European AESAs, with similar sensitivity and sidelobe performance, but using a Travelling Wave Tube and backplane
waveguide feed for the transmit direction, a technology closest to the
Boeing B-1 and early Dassault Rafale radars.
The Tikhomirov Irbis-E radar system has been in development since 2004 and designed for the Su-35 multipurpose fighter aircraft.
Tikhomirov developed the new radar based on the Bars system provided to Su-30MKI/MKM/MKA aircraft. This systems antenna contains more than 1,000 solid transmit/receive modules. The first
radar prototype entered flight tests onboard an Su-30MK2 aircraft acting as a test bed in early 2007. The Irbis-E design is Russias second AESA system, following the Phazotron Zhuk-AE being developed for the MiG-35.
