U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Flying Over Streets in California

Subscribe For More - MilitaryTiger

                    

SHARE this video on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+

○○○ Stay Tuned and Enjoy ○○○

Northrop Grumman Demonstrates Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Air-to-Air Refueling

On Jan. 21, 2011, the most well known three aircraft centers of the world, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) and NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center, demonstrated autonomous aerial refueling between two unmanned flights, on a very high altitude aircraft platforms. This kind of operation never before performed in the history of defence aviation.

Northrop Grumman’s Proteus test aircraft (Proteus is a tandem-wing high-endurance aircraft designed by Burt Rutan to investigate the use of aircraft as high altitude telecommunications relays), and a NASA Global Hawk (Global Hawk [known as Tier II+ during development] is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) used by the United States Air Force and Navy as a surveillance aircraft.) have set a new industry record by flying as close as 40 feet apart at an altitude of 45,000 feet.(NB:The Proteus is actually a multi-mission vehicle, able to carry various payloads on a ventral pylon. An extremely efficient design,the Proteus can orbit a point at over 65,000 feet (19,800 m) for more than 18 hours. It is currently owned by Northrop Grumman.

The basic purpose of the test was that high altitude environment was required for refueling of high altitude long endurance as it is the unmanned aircraft system of USA. Along with that they also examined the performance and flight control responsiveness of the Aircraft. As a result of the test is that the Global Hawks are able to do the autonomous aerial refueling. This test has brought forth the spring of 2012 in the world.

While speaking at at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems sector, Geoffery Sommer said,”Demonstrating close formation flight of two high altitude aircraft, whether manned or unmanned, is a notable accomplishment,” further he said, “When you add autonomous flight of both aircraft into the mix, as we will do later in the KQ-X program, you gain a capability that has mission applications far beyond just aerial refueling.” (NB:KQ-X is a $33 million DARPA program awarded to Northrop Grumman Corporation on July 1, 2010. KQ-X will investigate and develop Autonomous Aerial Refueling techniques using two NASA Global Hawk high altitude long endurance [HALE] unmanned aerial vehicles [UAV]). The $33 million DARPA KQ-X program will demonstrate autonomous fuel transfer between two Global Hawks, enabling flights of up to one week endurance.

Actually KQ-X is a follow-on to a 2006 DARPA Autonomous Aerial Refueling Demonstration (AARD).It is an effort made along with NASA Dryden, which used an F-18 fighter jet as a surrogate unmanned aircraft to autonomously refuel through a probe and drogue from 707 tanker. Frame Representation Language(FRL), realized that their looped-hose system left a lot to be desired and began work on an improved system that is now commonly called the probe-and-drogue air-to-air refueling system and today is one of the two systems chosen by air forces for air-to-air refueling, the other being the flying-boom system.Modern specialized tanker aircraft have equipment specially designed for the task of offloading fuel to the receiver aircraft, based on drogue and probe, even at the higher speeds modern jet aircraft typically need to remain airborne. And finally Northrop Grumman supports the operation of the two Global Hawks used in the KQ-X program under the terms of a Space Act Agreement with its NASA Dryden partner and is responsible for all engineering design, as well as modification of both aircraft.

US-Japan $1.2B RQ-4 Global Hawk Deal Finalized

The US Department of State has approved a potential sale of three Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned surveillance systems to Japan.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible foreign military sale on Nov. 19, according to a DSCA statement.

The deal for three Block 30 Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft, including three Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suites and 16 navigation systems, is worth up to US $1.2 billion.

Japan has been focused on building up its surveillance assets in the region as neighboring China has become increasingly aggressive. Japan's Ministry of Defense officially decided to procure the Global Hawk, as well as Boeing's V-22 Osprey and Northrop's E-2D Hawkeye command and control aircraft, in 2014.

Japan chose the Global Hawk over the Guardian ER design by General Atomics for the country's Air Self Defense Force.

"The proposed sale of the RQ-4 will significantly enhance Japan's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and help ensure that Japan is able to continue to monitor and deter regional threats," according to the statement. "The Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) will have no difficulty absorbing these systems into its armed forces."

In the statement, DSCA touted the sale as strengthening the US-Japanese alliance at a time of growing tensions over China's moves in the South China Sea.

"This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States," the statement reads. "Japan is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific and a key partner of the United States in ensuring regional peace and stability."

Air Force ‘Confident’ Bomber Contract Award Is Airtight

The US Air Force is “confident” that the award of the Long Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B) contract to Northrop Grumman can withstand the protest recently filed by losing team Boeing and Lockheed Martin, top leadership said here today.

“I am confident that we collectively — and again, 'we' the Air Force, but we had independent peer reviews, as well — that, collectively, we did a very thorough job,” Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said during a Nov. 10 press conference at the Dubai Air Show. “The evaluation was done according to the [Request for Proposal] evaluation factors.”

The Pentagon announced Northrop as the winner for the competition, which aims to provide 80-100 new bombers for the service to replace the B-52 and B-1 fleets, on Oct. 27. On Nov. 6, Boeing and Lockheed filled their formal protest with the Government Accountability Office.

The GAO now has 100 days to review the protest, examine the Air Force’s source-selection process and issue a ruling. The Air Force expects Boeing’s protest will delay the contract by that 100-day period, but no more, James indicated.

"What is now going to occur is about a 100-day period in which the GAO will be reviewing the contract award, so we expect that, after that 100 days is up, we will proceed accordingly," James said. "So that is the amount of the delay you might see, the period of the GAO review."

If the protest is successful, the GAO could force the Air Force to re-bid the contract, causing further delay to the Air Force’s decades-long effort to build a new bomber. However, James pointed out that the GAO may simply ask the Air Force to “redo” some aspects of the source-selection process.

“The GAO, if they found certain discrepancies, could ask that we redo some of the factors," James said. "It would not necessarily be an entirely new contract situation. So it really depends — it’s too early to say.”

The Air Force, clearly eager to avoid a repeat of the tanker saga of the last decade when a Boeing protest eventually reversed the original award to Airbus, has taken great pains to insulate the LRS-B award. James reiterated during the press conference that the service tasked not one, but two, independent cost estimators to evaluate the program.

“We had a very deliberate process, we took our time, it was key that we do it correctly, we believe that we did do it correctly,” James said. “It’s not just our belief, we had independent reviews at different levels within the Department of Defense to include a legal review, so I would just like to stand by and wait to see what the GAO assesses.”

But despite the Air Force's best efforts, a protest could delay the program and spark an ugly public relations battle, particularly given Boeing's clout on Capitol Hill.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin called the selection process for the LRS-B "fundamentally flawed" in a joint statement last week. Specifically, they take issue with the cost evaluation performed by the government, saying it did not properly reward the team's proposals to break the upward-spiraling historical cost curves of defense acquisitions, and did not properly evaluate the relative or comparative risk of Northrop Grumman's ability to perform, as required by the solicitation.

Northrop Grumman, maker of the stealth B-2 bomber, won the award in part because of a projected cost per plane of $511 million in 2010 dollars, well below the Pentagon's cost cap of $550 million in 2010 dollars. In fiscal 2016 dollars, those figures translate into $563 million and $606 million, respectively.

USAF leader confirms manned decision for new bomber

The US Air Force has confirmed for the first time that the Long Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B) will be manned on entry-into-service, one of a few new details revealed about the classified programme. 

Several military experts have predicted the LRS-B programme would eventually become optionally-manned but enter service with a flight crew or a pilot, but the USAF has never revealed such details publicly.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley said today at a Defense Writers Group breakfast that the service will initially field the new stealth bomber as manned aircraft. "It's likely that we'll start the bomber programme as a manned programme," Donley says. "It'll have the option to be unmanned at some point and so I think that option will be protected."

Boeing

The USAF is still some distance away from awarding a contract for the new aircraft, but Donley there have been no major changes in design or requirements since the programme was launched. "We're still a year or two away from those, what I would call a downselect decision," Donley says. 

The USAF still hopes to build anywhere from 80 to 100 LRS-B aircraft which would become operational in the mid-2020s. "Cost is a major factor for us," Donley says.

Donley says he is not yet sure when the service will disclose more about the Pentagon's acquisitions strategy for the LRS-B, but he did say contract details are under review. "We are developing a contract strategy at the air force and AT&L [acquisitions, technology and logistics], that work is ongoing," he says.

"We're going to protect the capabilities of this airplane," Donley says. "I think several years down the road [we might disclose more details] because we think the capabilities that it will have represent advantages not unlike those that we have enjoyed with the [Northrop Grumman] B-2."

When the B-2 was new in the early 1990s, that aircraft represented a revolutionary leap in capability for strategic bombers. Even now, nearly two decades after the bat-winged aircraft was declared operational, the USAF is still tight lipped about the stealth bomber's exact performance and capabilities. 

"We have not talked about B-2 capabilities in great depth, we did not reveal the existence of the B-2 programme until it rolled out of the hangar," Donley says. "We're years from that."

Source: flightglobal

P-8A Poseidon_A Backgrounder

Description & Purpose:

The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations.

A derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800, the P-8A combines superior performance and reliability with an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space.

Customers:

The P-8A is being developed for the U.S. Navy by a Boeing-led industry team that consists of CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, GE Aviation, BAE Systems and Spirit AeroSystems.

The U.S. Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As to replace its fleet of P-3C aircraft. In January 2011, Boeing received a $1.6 billion contract for low-rate initial production of the first six aircraft, spares, logistics and training devices; in November 2011, Boeing received a $1.7 billion LRIP award for seven additional P-8As. In September 2012, Boeing received a $1.9 billion contract for 11 aircraft, bringing the total to 24. 

P-8A initial operational capability is slated for 2013.

On Jan. 1, 2009, Boeing signed a contract with the government of India to provide eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. The P-8I is a derivative of the P-8A designed specifically for the Indian navy.

Australia signed an MOU with the U.S. Navy in 2009 and will collaborate in Increment 2. In March 2012, a production, sustainment and follow-on development MOU was signed.

General Characteristics: 

Propulsion:                         Two CFM56-7 engines providing 27,000 pounds thrust   each

Length:                                 129.5 feet (39.47 meters)  

Wing Span:                         123.6 feet (37.64 meters)

Height:                                 42.1 feet (12.83 meters)

Maximum Takeoff Gross Weight:     189,200 pounds (85,820 kilograms)

Speed:                                  490 knots (564 mi/h, 789 km/h)

Range:                                  1,200+ nautical miles, with 4 hours on station (1,381 miles, 2,222 kilometers)

Ceiling:                                41,000 feet (12,496 meters)

Crew:                                    9 

Boeing is using a first-in-industry production process and its existing Next-Generation 737 production system to efficiently design and build P-8 aircraft. The P-8’s 737-800 fuselage is built in Wichita, Kan., and then sent to Boeing’s final assembly facility in Renton, Wash., where all aircraft structural features unique to the P-8A are incorporated in sequence during fabrication and assembly. Aircraft quality and performance acceptance flight testing takes place at Renton Field and final installation and checkout of the mission system and special flight test instrumentation is conducted at Boeing Field.

The first test aircraft began U.S. Navy formal flight testing at Boeing Field in late 2009 and ferried to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., on April 10, 2010, for completion of flight test. Six P-8A test aircraft currently are in flight test. Boeing’s first production P-8A made its initial flight July 7, 2011 and was officially delivered to the Navy March 4, 2012. Boeing completed the last if its LRIP-1 deliveries in January 2013

Background:

Boeing was awarded a $3.89 billion contract for the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the program on June 14, 2004. SDD activities include developing and integrating all the necessary software and onboard mission systems and developing training systems. The P-8A is expected to significantly transform how the Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissance force will train, operate and deploy.

The initial SDD contract included building five test vehicles: three flight test aircraft (T1, T2 and T3), one full-scale static test airframe and one full-scale fatigue test airframe (S1 and S2). The contract included an option for two additional test vehicles (T4 and T5), which has since been exercised. One additional flight test aircraft (T6) also was added to the contract.
In November 2005 the Navy announced that the P-8A preliminary design review (PDR) was the best major weapons system PDR it had ever reviewed. A successful critical design review was completed in July 2007.

The team started production on the first test aircraft on Dec. 11, 2007, at Spirit’s facility. Fuselage assemblies come together on Spirit’s existing Next-Generation 737 production line. Spirit delivered the first fuselage to Boeing in late March 2008 and final assembly of the aircraft began the same day in Renton, Wash. The P-8A made its first flight on April 25, 2009. Full-scale static testing of the P-8A’s airframe was completed in January 2011. The Navy has surpassed 2,800 flight-test hours in the P-8A test aircraft.

Industry Partners:

Boeing and its industry partners provide unrivaled expertise in both large-scale systems integration and network centric operations, plus unquestioned leadership in developing and customizing military and commercial products for maritime forces.

CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of Snecma Moteurs and General Electric Company, provides the CFM56-7 engines that power the P-8A. The two engines each provide 27,300 pounds of takeoff thrust. The CFM56-7 is one of the world’s most reliable engines. This fleet of engines has logged more than 30 million flight hours while maintaining an industry-leading .002 percent in-flight shut down rate per 1,000 hours of flight.

Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems sector provides the directional infrared countermeasures system, and the electronic support measures system. Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector develops data links for P-8A; the company’s Integrated Systems sector supports the mission planning effort.

Raytheon provides the AN/APY-10 radar which delivers all weather, day/night multi-mission maritime, littoral and overland surveillance capabilities. Raytheon also provides the MK 54 lightweight torpedo.

GE Aviation supplies both the Flight Management and Stores Management systems on the P-8A. The Flight Management System provides an integrated open architecture that is CNS/ATM compatible along with an inherent growth path for upgrades. The Stores Management System provides a comprehensive system for the electronic control of integrated weapons management.

Spirit AeroSystems builds the 737 aircraft’s fuselage and airframe tail sections and struts in Wichita, Kan. Spirit supplies large component parts and assemblies for a number of Boeing commercial aircraft.

BAE Systems provides the mission computing and display system (MCDS), flight deck panels and data diode.

Northrop Common Imagery Processor Successfully Handles New Global Hawk Data On Test Bed

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NOC) Common Imagery Processor (CIP) has demonstrated an important new capability by processing Global Hawk Block 40 data on the Distributed Common Ground System — Imagery (DCGS-I) test bed.

A live flight event late last year marked the first time that Global Hawk Block 40 data was successfully received, processed and disseminated on the DCGS-I test bed using the CIP. After the Global Hawk platform transmitted the newest Block 40 concurrent modes data to the test bed, the CIP processed and transmitted this data to other downstream ground station components for viewing and exploitation.

As the primary sensor processing element of the DCGS-I test bed based in China Lake, Calif., the CIP accepts airborne imagery data, processes it into an exploitable image and then outputs the image to other elements within the test bed. The CIP is the standard image processor used by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). The CIP also helps coalition partners to consolidate redundant and stovepiped processing systems.

The CIP’s latest software allowed for the newest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery mode to be processed while simultaneously passing the ground moving target indicator data on to another system for processing. The CIP is the only platform capable of processing concurrent SAR data.

“Northrop Grumman continually provides soldiers an upper hand through the CIP’s innovative imagery capabilities that process images quickly and efficiently,” said Ed Bush, vice president of Northrop Grumman’s C4ISR Networked Systems business unit. “Additionally, the program reflects our open architecture approach and quick fielding of integrated software-based systems through the use of commercial and government off-the-shelf components.”

The CIP has been involved in numerous integration and test activities for many platforms and sensors. This includes Empire Challenge, an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance demonstration that promoted interoperability between U.S. and coalition Distributed Common Ground System assets.

Since 2000, the CIP has applied its critical ability to ingest data via the Common Data Link to serve as the main imagery processor of the DCGS-I test bed. The DOD uses the DCGS-I test bed to evaluate new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies in an operational environment. The test bed has been an active participant in ongoing block upgrades for the Northrop Grumman-developed Global Hawk unmanned aircraft.

Additionally, Northrop Grumman offers the virtualized Common Imagery Processor, also referred to as vCIP, a cost-saving, software-only processing upgrade to the CIP. Already owned by the U.S. government, this architecture allows processing capability to be hosted on a customer’s Linux computer environment and eliminates new hardware costs. Software functionality includes all current sensor processing modes and enhancements already available in the CIP software baseline along with the latest compliance registration afforded by the Joint Interoperability Test Command.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cybersecurity, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Northrop Grumman Delivers Center Fuselage for Italy's First F-35 Lightning I

Northrop Grumman delivered the center fuselage for Italy's first F-35 Lightning II to the newly commissioned Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Italy's Cameri Air Base July 12. This on-time delivery to Lockheed Martin enables the first assembly of an F-35 aircraft at the FACO facility and increases international participation on the F-35 program.

In early July 2013, Northrop Grumman prepared the center fuselage for Italy's first F-35 Lighting II for delivery to the newly commissioned Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Italy's Cameri Air Base. The delivery to Lockheed Martin supports the first assembly of an F-35 aircraft at the FACO facility and increases international participation on the F-35 program.

The center fuselage, AL-1, will be integrated into a conventional takeoff and landing variant of the F-35, and represents the first of 90 center fuselage sections that will be delivered to the Italian FACO facility for Italian aircraft.

"We started working on AL-1 in September 2012, when it was inducted into our Integrated Assembly Line [IAL] at our Palmdale facility," said Michelle Scarpella, vice president of the F-35 program for Northrop Grumman.

"It's the 115th center fuselage we've completed here in Palmdale, and marks another program milestone, as we continue to stand up and grow international F-35 participation."

The IAL maximizes robotics and automation, providing additional assembly capability while meeting engineering tolerances that are not easily achieved using manual methods. The IAL is central in producing the F-35's center fuselage as well as increasing the program's affordability, quality and efficiency.

Currently, there are 35 center fuselages in flow on the IAL, including some for Australia and additional ones for Italy; deliveries have already been made to Ft Worth for final assembly and delivery to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Set on 101 acres in Italy's Piedmont region, the FACO facility at Cameri will be one of a kind in Europe.

With 22 buildings, more than a million square feet of covered work space, 11 final assembly workstations - including four outfitted for electronic mate and assembly - and five maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade bays, the FACO at Cameri is positioned to serve as a new hub for the Italian aerospace industry.

As a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 industry team, Northrop Grumman performs a significant share of the work required to develop and produce the aircraft.

In addition to manufacturing the F-35 center fuselage, Northrop Grumman designed and produces the aircraft's radar and other key avionics including electro-optical and communications, navigation and identification subsystems.

Northrop Grumman also develops mission systems and mission planning software, leads the team's development of pilot and maintenance training system courseware, and manages the team's use, support and maintenance of low-observable technologies. In 2012, the company delivered 32 center fuselages and is on track to exceed 2012 delivery quantities in 2013.

Northrop Launches CUTLASS, Next Generation Unmanned Ground Vehicle

Northrop Grumman Corporation has launched CUTLASS, its latest generation unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), expanding its range of industry-leading capabilities in unmanned systems for the remote handling and surveillance of hazardous threats.

CUTLASS has been designed, developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman in the U.K., and includes significant advances in technology and performance and a range of features that provides state-of-the-art capabilities for national security and resilience applications.

“Our CUTLASS vehicle is setting new standards in the UGV market and significantly enhancing the ability of users to handle hazardous threats safely. It is more dexterous, cost effective and, as a package, four times faster than any other UGV,” said Greg Roberts, managing director, defence and security, Northrop Grumman Information Systems Europe. “The vehicle is already in service across the U.K. and has proven itself to be robust and capable in the most demanding environments. We look forward to exploiting the potential opportunities for exporting this capability into international markets.”

CUTLASS will be on display in Northrop Grumman’s exhibit at the Counter Terror Expo, where it will also show its range of capabilities in daily live scenario-based demonstrations. The international exhibition and conference Counter Terror Expo takes place at the National Hall, Olympia, London, April 24-25.

CUTLASS offers the latest technology in a modular design, enabling the user to deal safely with the full range of hazardous threats from a distance, including the detection and disposal of explosive ordnance. Its highly versatile design means that it is capable of accommodating a wide range of payloads, sensors and tools. It carries all of the tools and sensors it needs to perform the full range of operations required for explosive ordnance disposal and other applications, avoiding the need to deploy two standard UGVs. CUTLASS saves up to 50 percent on the through-life costs when compared to owning and operating two standard UGVs.

The manipulator arm is equipped with a three-fingered, state-of-the-art gripper and has nine degrees of freedom for greater movement and agility inside limited spaces. With a specialised sensing system it provides a high level of control and dexterity to minimize damage to property and preserve forensic evidence.

Using CUTLASS, a hazardous situation can be restored to normal up to four times more quickly than with any other UGV. The combination of the speed of the wheeled platform, which can reach speeds of up to 12 kph, and the ability of CUTLASS to carry multiple tools and sensors negates the need to return to the incident control point, thus saving considerable time. The robot is able to creep along at deliberately slow speeds for delicate operations and may accelerate to high speeds to enable rapid travel. The six-wheeled design offers mobility on all types of hard and soft terrain and in all weather conditions.

Northrop Grumman’s unmanned ground vehicle business has been established in Coventry, U.K., for more than 20 years. Today, the company designs, develops and manufactures in the U.K. some of the most capable and reliable unmanned ground vehicles available, from the Wheelbarrow bomb disposal robot to the latest vehicle, CUTLASS.

Northrop Grumman has more than 2,000 unmanned ground vehicle systems in operation around the world.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cybersecurity, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide.

First Flight of nEUROn UAV Demonstrator Conducted

Northrop Grumman, in cooperation with Saab Aerosystems, has provided the attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) for the nEUROn Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator, which recently completed a successful first flight.

Northrop Grumman’s German navigation systems subsidiary, Northrop Grumman LITEF, supplied the fibre-optic, gyrocompassing LCR-100 AHRS for the European UCAV demonstrator.

The LCR-100 AHRS provides navigation information relating to the aircraft’s position, heading and attitude. The north-finding gyrocompass feature eliminates the need for a magnetic sensing unit, similar to an inertial reference system.

Additionally, the system’s precise inertial measurement unit enables extended coasting performance for the aircraft to continue providing accurate navigation information in the event of GPS signal loss. The LCR-100 is certified to civil standards for commercial off-the-shelf equipment in military platforms.

“The LCR-100 has proven that it is an efficient, cost-effective solution for unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly because of its small size and light weight,” said Eckehardt Keip, managing director for Northrop Grumman LITEF.

“The system performed to our high standards and played a critical role in the nEUROn’s major milestone achievement.”

The nEUROn is an experimental UCAV being developed with international cooperation, led by France, and includes government and industry partners from Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

It is the first large stealth platform to be designed in Europe. The programme aims to develop, test and sustain key technologies for use by European manufacturers in the next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles and combat aircraft.

The demonstrator will not enter serial production. However, additional flight testing, including a flight in Sweden during 2014, is expected.

Northrop’s SABR Gives F-16 Pilots the Big Picture

To a pilot, a radar is only as useful as the information it provides, and Northrop Grumman’s Big SAR (synthetic aperture radar) mapping for the Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) delivers the largest, sharpest radar images ever available in an F-16.

The company’s SABR has successfully demonstrated several advanced radar capabilities for the F-16, including Big SAR maps with automatic target cueing. The SABR Big SAR offers an unprecedented level of situational awareness and target identification for F-16 pilots.

“SABR’s Big SAR is high-definition radar imagery that covers a large area on the ground in a single image,” said Joseph Ensor, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman’s Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting Systems Division.

“This advance will give F-16 pilots the largest maps with the most detail that they have ever seen in the cockpit. Combined with SABR’s automatic target cueing capability, the F-16 will have targeting capabilities unmatched by any other fourth-generation fighter.”

SABR is an affordable, multifunction active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar designed specifically for F-16 retrofit. SABR provides longer detection and tracking ranges, high-resolution SAR maps for all-environment precision targeting, interleaved mode operations for greater situational awareness and greater reliability.

Northrop Grumman has nearly four decades of F-16 radar development and integration experience, and has delivered more than 6,000 fire control radars to U.S. and international air forces. The company also supplies the AESA fire control radars for the F-16 Block 60, F-22 and F-35 aircraft.