Raytheon secures US government licence to offer APG-63(V)3 in anticipation of city state's fighter decision
Singapore is poised to become the first export customer for the Raytheon APG-63(V)3 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar should the Boeing F-15T be selected in the city-state's fighter contest.
Raytheon has secured approval from the US government to market the new active-array radar in Singapore and is producing a 200-page document on the radar as part of Boeing's reply to an invitation to tender (ITT).
"It's on the table as an option for Singapore," says Raytheon's director of new business for F-15 radar programmes, Arnie Victor.
Boeing, Dassault Aviation and Eurofighter are submitting this week thousands of pages of information on their proposed candidates in response to the ITT. This was issued after Singapore last October shortlisted the F-15, Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon. Industry sources say the ITT asks for two proposals: one for eight aircraft plus 12 options and another for 12 aircraft plus eight options.
The radar is considered a major factor in the contest. The Rafale is thought to be a long shot because Singapore would have to help fund the development of a new radar, which could raise the cost and risk of the procurement. Eurofighter vice-president of export business Mike Rudd agrees AESA provides a better air-to-ground capability than the Typhoon's mechanically scanned Euroradar Captor, but argues the Typhoon's air-to-air capability is superior and air-to-ground is not critical because it is unusual for a fighter pilot to use radar for targeting.
Boeing regional director for international business development Thomas Lillis says: "Electronically scanned is much more capable than mechanically scanned. Anyone who says different is blowing smoke. The reason you buy air-superiority aircraft is you have the most powerful radar and most long-range missiles."
Over 90 US Air Force F-15s are now equipped with the upgraded APG-63(V)1 radar and 18 are outfitted with the APG-63(V)2, the first version to include AESA. The 161 USAF F-15s that are not yet equipped with AESA technology will gradually be equipped with the new APG-63(V)3, assuming the upgrade is funded as requested by USAF's Air Combat Command. The APG-63(V)3 features "tile" transmitter/receiver modules, compared with the "brick" technology in the APG-63(V)2.
Deliveries of the APG-63(V)3 to the USAF will begin in December 2007. Singapore plans to take delivery of its first new fighter in 2008.
If the F-15 is selected by Singapore, the new radar would still have to be formally released by the US government. However, there have already been preliminary discussions between the two governments regarding the radar's releasability.
Weapons are another factor in the competition, but their releasability will be addressed later as part of separate tenders between Singapore and weapon manufacturers. In the ITT, the aircraft manufacturers are only asked to list weapons that potentially can be integrated. Industry sources say Boeing is proposing the MBDA ASRAAM, Boeing SLAM-ER and Lockheed Martin JAASM while Eurofighter is proposing the MBDA Storm Shadow.
Singapore will begin test flying the three candidates this month, starting with the Rafale, followed immediately by the F-15 and, after a two-month hiatus, the Typhoon.
Source: Flight International
