Israel's Elta Systems has received contracts worth a combined $32 million to supply airborne maritime patrol radars to two foreign customers.
The Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary says it has so far received orders to produce 250 ELM-2022 radars to customers in over 25 countries. The sensor is currently operated on platforms including the Airbus Military C295 and CN235, Bombardier Dash 8, Dornier 228 and Lockheed P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, Eurocopter AS365 Panther helicopter and a maritime surveillance-optimised version of IAI's Heron 1 unmanned air vehicle.
In its latest ELM-2022A(V)3 version, the radar can provide 360˚ tracking from an under-fuselage-, nose- or tail-mounted antenna. It can detect, track, classify and identify maritime and airborne targets in high sea states and high-density environments.
Elta says a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode provides high-resolution ground images for detailed examination of coastal structures such as piers, harbours, industrial installations or airfields. It also has an inverse SAR function for the identification of maritime targets.
Through a partnership with Exelis, the ELM-2022 has also been designated as the APY-11 for installation on the US Coast Guard's Lockheed Martin HC-130J long-range surveillance aircraft. Exelis was recently awarded a $6.5 million contract for additional sensors.
"As missions worldwide continue to grow, and become more demanding, we'll continue to adapt our radar to evolving operational requirements," says Elta president Nissim Hadas. The company is adding new modes, such as basic pollution detection and iceberg monitoring, as well as the advanced classification of threats.
Meanwhile, Elta has unveiled an integrated electronic support measures/electronic intelligence capability for its ELM-2060 all-weather synthetic aperture radar reconnaissance pod. The integration of the new equipment was achieved through advances in hardware miniaturisation, the company says.
The ELI-2060E pod can deliver radar imagery with an ELINT target overlay, allowing an operator to collect multi-intelligence data during a single flight.
Source: Flight International
