Lockheed Martin is soliciting international support for its proposed Arrowhead targeting and navigation sensor for the Boeing AH-64.
This takes place as competition with Raytheon intensifies, ahead of an expected request for proposals (RFP) to upgrade the US Army's fleet of attack helicopters.
Arrowhead is being offered to Turkey as part of an AH-64D Apache Longbow bid, against a requirement for up to 145 attack helicopters. If selected, the second-generation target acquisition designation system (TADS) and pilot night vision system (PNVS) could be fielded by the Turkish army by 2003, possibly before the US Army.
"There is interest in licence production in Turkey," says Dave Shrum, Lockheed Martin TADS/PNVS programme director. He adds that the UK is also looking at the system as a future enhancement for the Army Air Corps' WAH-64Ds. The US Army is expected to release an RFP for a replacement Apache sensor next month.
Raytheon plans to propose its competing horizontal technology integration/second generation forward-looking infrared (HTI-SGF) system. At stake is a US Army requirement to retrofit the system to its 750 AH-64A/D helicopters from 2004. The army wants to accelerate this.
The new TADS/PNVS system offers a significant improvement in performance and reliability over the current first-generation system. Raytheon says its HTI-SGF has twice the range, while Lockheed Martin promises 30% better resolution and a 40% increase in recognition range.
In addition, Raytheon is proposing a capability to fuse FLIR and image intensified TV (IITV) visuals, with local area processing for sharper resolution. Lockheed Martin says the Arrowhead will initially be switchable between FLIR and IITV, but is advising the army against this because of claimed reduced resolution.
Arrowhead is based on the electro-optical sensor system that Lockheed Martin is developing for the Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche. This includes a baseline IITV requirement. The two systems would be 90% compatible, reducing support costs, the company says.
Source: Flight International
