Raytheon has offered the US Navy a smaller, cheaper version of the Combat Engagement Capability (CEC) sensor data distribution and fusion system now in final development.
Installed in ships and Northrop Grumman E-2CHawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, the CEC network will allow radar data to be exchanged and fused to create a single integrated air picture.
With low-rate initial production of the CEC terminals under way, Raytheon has proposed a low-cost, low-volume version for full-rate production, says Gifford Clegg, director advanced tactical programmes at the company's Data Systems division.
The advanced version will be 40-50% cheaper than the current CEC terminal, Clegg says. Using the latest processor and antenna technology also reduces weight, from 310kg (680lb) in the E-2 to under 115kg. A smaller phased-array antenna for the C-band CEC datalink will make the upgraded system easier to install.
Clegg says the navy has requested additional information. Raytheon hopes to offer the upgraded terminal in the upcoming competition for the full-rate production contract. The navy plans to acquire 200 CEC terminals, including 60-70 for its E-2s.
Raytheon will also offer the advanced system to the USAir Force and army to meet an emerging joint service requirement for the capability to produce a single integrated air picture for use by all US forces. The US Department of Defense has launched a two-year effort to define the architecture and acquisition strategy for the system, Clegg says.
The US Navy, meanwhile, plans to begin operational evaluation of the baseline CEC in May next year. This was delayed from the originally planned September 1998 by interoperability problems between CEC and the Aegis weapon system on navy warships. These are being overcome, Clegg says.
Future navy plans call for the CEC to be expanded to include target identification data from sources such as satellites and the USAir Force's RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic intelligence aircraft.
Source: Flight International