APG-79 AESA Radars for Super Hornets
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The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet’s current radar is Raytheon’s all-weather, multimode AN/APG-73, but the revolutionary new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) APG-79 radar offers significantly greater capability, reliability, image resolution, and range. The AESA array is composed of numerous solid-state transmit and receive modules, to virtually eliminate mechanical breakdown. Other system components include an advanced receiver/exciter, ruggedized commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) processor, and power supplies. With its open systems architecture and compact COTS parts, it changes what the aircrew can do with the radar – and does so in a smaller, lighter package.
Fulfilling part of the Navy’s roadmap to expand the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s capabilities for future network-centric operations, Boeing and Raytheon debuted the F/A-18F Block II Super Hornet equipped with the AN/APG-79 AESA radar system at a St. Louis ceremony in April 2005. In October 2006, the first Super Hornet Block II squadron attained the requisite “safe for flight” (really for independent operations with the new equipment) designation.
This article has been expanded to become DID’s complete Spotlight article (because the radar is a sub-system, and not a full platform) covering the APG-79 weapons system’s capabilities, results, and contracts. The latest development is a spares contract…
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