At Le Bourget, Raytheon is demonstrating the ability of its AESA radars to pass large files, such as synthetic aperture radar maps, to other aircraft, command and control platforms or ground stations at unprecedented speed, and while continuing to use the radar to undertake all of its ‘traditional’ functions.
Claiming to be the “world leader in active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars”, Raytheon joined forces with L-3 Communications to develop this new AESA capability, and has now demonstrated the capability using an unidentified testbed. Raytheon declined to confirm the aircraft type (though Flight Daily News understands it was a company operated BAC 1-11), which it said belonged to a division of the company whose primary focus was on classified programmes.
Nor would the company identify the type of radar used, stressing that “if you have an active array, the appropriate algorithms and software, you can do this.”
The trial proved that the AESA array was able to transmit and receive a detailed SAR image map – not just a section of a map, but the whole radar image – in just 80 milliseconds, a speed that far exceeded the capabilities of the highest bandwidth tactical datalinks and communications systems.
This new AESA capability will dramatically enhance the non-traditional ISR capabilities of suitably equipped fighters, enabling every fighter to become a key node in the Global Information Grid (GIG).
Raytheon told Flight Daily News that the capability could be provided to existing APG-79 or APG-63(V)-2 operators “as quickly as the acquisition process allows”.
Source: Flight Daily News
