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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 2544.PDF
DEFENCE SURVEILLANCE RAMON LOPEZ / WASHINGTON DC Raytheon scopes synthetic aperture radar for US Navy Eighteen month demonstration aimed at future upgrade of SHARP for Boeing F/A-18E/F A Raytheon-led team has been selected by the US Navy to demon strate a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with precision targeting capabilities on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter. The 18-month demonstration is aimed at a future upgrade of the Raytheon Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) planned for the Boeing F/A-18E/E The USN has received $9 million to conduct the F-14 demonstration and undertake an engineering analysis of the integration of a SAR into the electro-optical/infrared SHARP pod. It is also responsible for system integration and engi neering, and is providing the tar geting technology. Using the F-14 for SAR trials will reduce risk and prove the capability ahead of the F/A-18E/F funding allocation. The USN might deploy the system on operational F-14s in the interim to supplement SHARP-equipped F/A-18E/Fs. As prime contractor, Raytheon Electronic Systems received $5.8 million to demonstrate a SAR in a The F-14 may get a SAR based precision strike capability dedicated F-14 pod. Lockheed Martin Management & Data Systems is providing the Modular SAR - also known as Falcon SAR - a Ku-band radar already demon strated on a Lockheed Martin F-16. The company says: "It has the flexibility and the capability to be modified for the increased range and all-weather capabilities of X-band" and is designed to include moving target indication and a real-time datalink. Raytheon Tech nical Systems is manufacturing the SHARP pod structure. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control had bid the Tactical All-Weather Collection and Long Range (TACL) SAR, based on Elta's EL/M-2060P, a system operational on the F-16. Demonstrations were conducted on the F-14 and F-16 last year. Lockheed Martin would have provided the precision target ing capabilities. The company has been awarded a 12-month, $672,000 contract to study how TACL might be incorpo rated in the SHARP. Although awarded a "consolation prize", an industry official says: "The path to a production system is through the SAR flight demonstration." CO-OPERATION Team to be set up for Guided MLRS MBDA has entered into a memo randum of agreement with Lockheed Martin/Diehl joint ven ture Euro Rocket System (ERS) to establish a European prime con tractor for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) production. The companies will work with Italy's Fiat Avio to form an industry team for Guided MLRS, which is being acquired by France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the USA. European production is set to begin in 2005. MBDA combines Alenia Marconi Systems missile activities, EADS Aerospatiale Matra Missiles and Matra Bae Dynamics and is due to shortly get government approval. Guided MLRS will have a 60km (30nm) range and incorporates a GPS satellite navigation-aided iner- tial guidance package in an improved rocket body. Small canards on the rocket nose provide basic manoeuvrability and en hance the system's accuracy. Late last month, the US Army and Lockheed Martin completed the second ballistic flight test of a Guided MLRS rocket. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin has conducted developmental test ing of the improved M270A1 MLRS launcher. Operational testing is to begin in August at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The launcher incorpo rates an improved fire control sys tem, using GPS, and new compo nents that reduce the time it takes to aim and reload the rockets. Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems is furnishing two medium tactical trucks to serve as the wheeled chassis for the US Marine Corps High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The USMC will conduct a two-year HIMARS evaluation beginning early next year. HIMARS incorpo rates the MLRS. • Honeywell has been selected by US Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve to supply colour displays for Lockheed Martin F-16 block 25/30/32s. • Sweden has chosen the Turbomeca Arrius 2K2 engine for 20 AgustaWestland A109 helicopters ordered last month. • Smiths Aerospace is to pro vide digital terrain system (DTS) ground collision avoidance capability for US Air Force F-16s under a $16 million follow-on contract. Smiths is also supplying dual avionics and flight management computers for the Boeing KC-767 tanker/ transport. • Harris is to supply digital video map computers to Boeing for an F/A-18E/F advanced crew station upgrade under a contract worth up to $20 million. • Spar Aerospace has picked Rockwell Collins to sup ply flight management systems, displays, radar, autopilot, radios and collision avoidance system for the Greek air force Lockheed Martin C-130 avionics update under a $25 million subcontract. • Thales Airborne Systems and Marubeni have signed deals to supply Ocean Master 100 radars to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force. One will equip a Shinmaywa US-1A Kai amphibian and the other a NAMC YS-11T trainer. • Simula is to produce 490 cockpit airbag crash-protection systems for retrofit into US Army Sikorsky UH-60A/L Black Hawk helicopters under an $11.1 million contract. • Thales Airborne Systems and Indonesian Aerospace (lAe) have signed a €50 million ($42.4 million) contract to supply the Indonesian air force with three lAe CN235s with Thales' Airborne Maritime Situation Control System (AMACOS). • General Atomics is to build 12RQ-1 Predator unmanned air vehicles for the US Air Force under a $16 million follow-on contract. • ITT Gilfillan has won a $143 million contract to supply six SPS-48E 3-D air defence radars to Egypt. • AAI has won a $25.4 million contract to provide unmanned air vehicle (UAV) ground support equip ment to an unnamed customer, believed to be South Korea. 22 10-16 JULY FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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