Saab has been awarded a SKr125 million ($17.4 million) contract for the continued technical support and development of the Erieye airborne early warning and control radar equipment aboard Swedish air force Saab 340 surveillance aircraft.
Placed by Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration and to run from 2012 to 2014, the award includes research and development activities linked to the Erieye/ASC890 sensor and command and control system, Saab says.
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"We look forward to further developing the Erieye radar system together with our Swedish client," says Micael Johansson, head of the company's electronic defence systems business area.
A fixed sensor with two active electronically scanned arrays, each capable of providing 150˚ coverage, the Erieye radar can track airborne and maritime threats. The system has been in use with the Swedish air force since 1997, and has also been exported to Brazil, Greece, Mexico, Pakistan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking at IQPC's Airborne Early Warning and Battle Management conference in London in February, Saab head of product management for wide-area surveillance and reconnaissance Mats Wicksell revealed that the company had flight-tested a new maritime surveillance mode for the radar. The enhancement will enable operators aboard the surveillance aircraft to detect and track potential targets down to the size of a jet ski from long range.
The Swedish air force currently operates three Erieye-equipped Saab 340s, as recorded by Flightglobal's MiliCAS database.
Source: Flight International
