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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 1111.PDF
A millimetre-wave mast-mounted radar and Hellfire missile seeker will help Apache penetrate the fog of battle Apache helicopter radar revealed by Julian Moxon in Washington D.C. Initial development of a millimetre-wave radar for the US Army's McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache anti-tank heli copter is set to begin in August, following an Army review of the programme next month. A mockup of the airborne adverse-weather weapon system (AAWWS) under development by Martin Marietta and West- inghouse (Flight, November 5, 1988), was unveiled at this year's Army Aviation Associa tion convention in Atlanta, Georgia. The radar will give the Apache true fire-and-forget capability with its Hellfire missile, and will be suitable for use with other weapons, includ ing a possible version of the Harm anti-radar missile. Mast-mounted, and weighing just 2301b, AAWWS would give Apache crews many of the features associated with a normal radar, freeing them from some of the existing infrared sensor's constraints. AAWWS would be comple mentary to the Apache's TADS/PNVS targeting/night- vision equipment, which has greater range, but suffers from bad-weather limitations. "The combination increases Apache's fighting effectiveness more than tenfold," says Martin Marietta. The Hellfire missile will be modified with a new 301b millimetre-wave seeker head, its small size made possible by virtue of emerging gallium arse nide technology. In operation, AAWWS would display a radar image of potential targets on the existing Apache cockpit display. The operator would lock on to it, for automatic tracking, and launch a millimetre-wave Hell fire missile, boresighted on the same image. Both the radar and missile seeker have undergone exten sive testing since the proof-of- principle programme was begun in 1985. Structural test ing of a full-scale AAWWS mockup began last year, and flight tests are due to begin at the end of this month. User tests of the radar by the Army will begin later this year. The Army plans to equip about one-third of its planned 950-aircraft Apache force with AAWWS. It has requested $259 million in 1990-1991 to begin engineering development. The Army's Systems Acquisition Review Council will consider the programme in May. Approval would lead to a 14-month initial development programme. The Army says that operational deployment could begin as early as 1992 as a central part of the Apache multi-stage improvement programme. RAAF favours phased-array AEW The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is favouring a phased- array radar as the main element of its planned airborne early warning (AEW) system. Israel's Phalcon and Sweden's Erieye systems are the only radars of this type contending for the $400 million contract. TheAustralianrequestforpro- posals was expected this month, but now seems likely to be de layed for at least a month. The RAAF has allocated $400 mil lion for the procurement of three or four AEW aircraft. These air craft will supplement the Aus tralian Jindalee over-the-hori- zon backscatter (OTH-B) radar currently under development. Resolution of the OTH-B radar will require more accurate target recognition by a system with higher , sensitivity. The intention is to use the OTH-B radar for first threat detection, and then AEW for mid- and close-range tracking. The Australians are planning to build three OTH-B radar stations to cover the country's northern and western approaches. Twelve companies responded to an earlier RAAF request for information in AEW systems. These included Grumman, Lockheed, and Boeing. Air Force experts have been briefed on the Phalcon system developed by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aircraft Industries. This solid-state L-band radar uses conformal phased-array antennas mounted either side of the aircraft, on the nose and under the tail. Each array consists of several hundred antenna elements, and six arrays cover 360°. Elta president Dr Nino Levy says the Israeli company is now seeking a US partner for the Australian competition. "Such a partner will facilitate the integr ation of a flying prototype and the final development," he says. The other phased-array radar expected to compete for the RAAF contract is the Ericsson PS-890 electronically scanned E/F-band AEW radar under development for the Swedish Air Force. A prototype system is now under evaluation in a Fairchild Metro III. Australian Harpoon simulated A Royal Australian Air Force F-lllC takes off equipped with McDonnell Douglas Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation has developed a Harpoon simulator for RAAF F-lllCsand F-18s. It simulates all aircrew actions and cockpit displays as if an actual missile were fired. The unit is also intended for export to other operators of the McDonnell Douglas F-18. NEWS IN BRIEF • GEC joins ATA GEC Avionics is to supply sidestick transducers for the McDonnell Douglas/Genera' Dynamics A-12 Advancec Tactical Aircraft and Lock heed/Boeing/General Dy namics YF-22 Advanced Tactical Fighter prototype. D India accepts radar India's first indigenously developed air-defence radar has been delivered by Bharat Electronics. The 50km-range vehicle-mounted Indra radar will be used both by the Indian Air Force and Army, FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 22 April 1989 13
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