Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
The US Air Force will award Northrop Grumman and Raytheon a fresh Radar Technology Insertion Programme (RTIP) contract in December. Development is being restructured to provide a common scaleable sensor for three Global Hawk unmanned air vehicles and a yet-to-be selected manned platform, as well as offer NATO a co-development solution for airborne ground surveillance (AGS).
A new pre-engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) effort will provide a building block for the full-scale development of individual platform applications starting in 2003. "We think we can save $100 million in common EMD instead of having separate Global Hawk, manned platform and NATO efforts," says Brig Gen Trey Obering, USAF director of information dominance.
USAF planning had originally called for prime contractor Northrop Grumman to develop RTIP as a two dimensional electronically-scanned active array upgrade for the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS). Future growth potential and support considerations have caused the air force to look at alternatives to the Boeing 707-300 airframe, with a decision on a manned platform scheduled for 2002.
Obering envisages a modular family of radars, including a 1.83m to 2.4m (6-8ft) long array for the Global Hawk. The USAF is also looking at a 3.6m to 5.5m antenna for either a business jet, with the Gulfstream V and Bombardier Global Express under consideration, or a Boeing 737-800 application. There will also be a full length 7.3m array as either a retrofit for the improved E-8D or a new widebody platform, such as the Boeing 767.
Obering wants to leverage off Northrop Grumman and Raytheon's advances in transmit/ receiver radar modules, and has asked the two to work out a more equitable partnering and workshare arrangement. While Northrop Grumman will remain the prime integrator for JSTARS and Global Hawk, Raytheon will likely take the lead in any business aircraft application for the USAF or NATO.
The USAF is budgeting for at least five manned RTIP platforms by 2012, in addition to Global Hawk (of which three would be available by 2009) and a fleet of 16 existing E-8Cs. "Five Joint STARS will give us one orbit. With a more modern, reliable and efficient airframe we could probably get two orbits or more depending on the numbers we buy for the same amount of money," says Obering.
RTIPs component level modularity and new schedule opens up a 18-24 month window of opportunity for NATO to make the programme a collaborative development, says Obering. There is also the possibility of the UK's Airborne Stand-off Radar programme "looking at what we're doing to see if it can be made available as an upgrade," he adds.
Source: Flight International
