Northrop Grumman Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) might help extend the viability of the U.S. Air Force’s F-16 fighter aircraft beyond 2025 and help make sure the F-16 remains a very important part of the nation’s fighter force structure.
Skip Wagner, director of International Business Development and Strategy for Northrop Grumman’s ISR and Targeting Systems Division, provided details at the radar upgrades to reporters in a briefing today on the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition 2013.
Northrop Grumman was chosen by prime contractor Lockheed Martin because the radar provider for the F-16 Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES), that’s an avionics modernization program designed to maintain the F-16 viable in future threat environments and improve system reliability and maintainability.
CAPES program objectives are to mitigate critical future capability gaps, provide advanced electronic protection, enhance situational awareness and survivability, and supply options to satisfy force structure requirements with modernized F-16s. SABR contributes substantially to CAPES program objectives.
“We are proud that SABR is the center piece of the F-16 CAPES program,” said Wagner. “The radar system adds robust electronic protection, including modes ported directly from the F-35′s AN/APG-81 radar to counter current and future threats. In fact, SABR has 95 percent re-use of fifth generation AESA modes adding to commonality and affordability.”
SABR includes Big Synthetic Aperture Radar (Big SAR) mapping, which permits for broader all-environment precision mapping. Auto Target Cueing and Auto Target Recognition improves situational awareness and combat identification. Air-to-air and air-to-surface detection, tracking, and weapons employment ranges have all been increased. Mode interleaving also improves situational awareness and survivability.
“With the capabilities that SABR brings, reliability and availability might be three to 5 times more than with the mechanically scanned F-16 radars fielded just 20 years ago,” added Wagner. “That adds as much as higher readiness rates and lower support costs. SABR brings great value.”
SABR’s design incorporates proven hardware and advanced operating modes from Northrop Grumman’s F-35 and F-22 AESAs. The high degree of commonality a number of the various AESA radars, coupled with shared manufacturing processes and infrastructure, enables efficiencies and affordability across all of Northrop Grumman’s AESA programs.
As component of the contractual agreement with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman may also be upgrading the radars for the Taiwan Air Force’s F-16 fleet. Radar development and production activities for the U.S. and Taiwan F-16 upgrade programs will run in parallel and demonstrate the advantages of international cooperation, interoperability and kit commonality for U.S and allied forces.
Other AESA radars developed by the corporate are currently flying at the F-16 Block 60, F-22 and F-35 Lightning II.
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