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Aviation History
1976
1976 - 0017.PDF
FLIGHT International, w/e 3 January 1976 M m^m^m^M^^i ** For its main mission, high-speed low-level attack, the B-l has both ,, forward-looking and terrain-following radars Northrop F-5E The Tiger II employs an Emerson Electric APQ-153 lightweight X-band radar which provides stabilised search, automatic acquisition and illumination of airborne targets. It can be used to direct the firing of air-to-air missiles such as Sidewinder or Magic and also the two built-in M39 cannon. Missile operation is head-down, using automatic ranging with boresight steering. Gunnery is head-up, the radar automatically providing the sight with range and range-rate information. During search, beam- width in elevation is effectively 10° and the pilot can adjust coverage through +45°; azimuth coverage is ±45°. Search range is 20 n.m. and lock-on can occur at up to 10 n.m. When gunnery mode is selected the scanner aligns to boresight and depresses by 4-7°. The range gate slews automatically between 500ft and 6,000ft, the radar locking on the first target encountered. The F-5Es being supplied in Saudi Arabia, for example, will be used for ground attack with bombs and Maverick missiles and they incorporate a number of modifications for this role. A Litton LN-33 inertial navigator also supplies accurate velocity and attitude information for air-to-ground weapon delivery and the radar is expected to be given extended range, frequency agility and an angle-tracking facility. Installation of a look-down radar would enhance air-to-ground ability and use of a laser spot seeker would allow designated targets to be attacked. A digital scan con verter may be used to show visual information from the Maverick television seeker on the basic radar display. Northrop is developing a laser designator for mounting on the canopy of two-seat Saudi F-5Fs. Grumman F-14 Tomcat The F-14's Hughes AWG-9 fire- control system comprises a radar, infra-red sensor, solid- state digital computer and associated displays. Fighter-size targets at any altitude can be detected by the radar at more than 115 n.m. range across a 150 n.m. front, and the infra red subsystem can pick up an afterburning target such as a MiG-25 more than 100 n.m. away. AWG-9 can track 24 targets and direct an attack on six of them simultaneously with Phoenix air-to-air missiles, while continuing to scan. Advanced electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) are provided. The fire-control system also directs Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles as well as the built-in M61 cannon. Rapid radar acquisition in dogfighting is provided by an "air combat manoeuvre mode" and a directed aiming reticle projected on the pilot's windscreen ensures maximum effectiveness with the gun. A Visual Target Acquisition System (VTAS) is being developed to allow missile opera tion at large off-boresight angles, using a Honeywell helmet- mounted sight. The radar operates in high-power pulse-Doppler mode for long-range target detection and tracking, multiple target tracking and Phoenix attacks. A conventional pulse mode is available for air-to-ground mapping and ranging, and for short-range dogfighting. The radar also provides continuous-wave target illumination for Sparrows. The radar displays targets on a combined television and cathode-ray tube to the missile control officer in the rear cockpit. As the range decreases to 100 miles or so The US Navy's F-I4s have the Hughes AWG-9 fire-control system com bining radar, sensors, processors and displays
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