Turkey has been asked to join the NATO Advanced Technology Radar (NATAR) programme to develop an airborne ground surveillance system.
A NATAR project office was formally established in Brussels in February, staffed by representatives from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Norway and the USA. The project office briefed a Turkish defence and industry delegation in late March. Other NATO members have also been invited to join the programme.
The project office has been tasked with presenting a proposal for six NATO-owned and -operated surveillance aircraft. The project definition phase, which includes drafting the memorandum of understanding, request for proposals and programme charter required to launch NATAR development, could take two years.
NATO has an urgent requirement for a ground surveillance system, with first deliveries required in 2008. Under NATAR, a derivative of the active-array radar being developed by Northrop Grumman for the US Air Force's E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System would be installed in an Airbus A320-family aircraft.
France, Germany Italy and the Netherlands are working on the SOSTAR technology demonstrator for the same requirement.
Source: Flight International
