AESA Radar to Be Trialed on UK’s GR4 Tornados By 2007

Tornado GR4(click to view full) In “Elec Tricks,” DID covered the value of Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars. They offer increased power, no moving parts which improves robustness and maintenance, and some entirely new capabilities as well. At the moment, the USA is the only country fielding AESA radars in its fighters: some F-15 Eagles with AN/APG-63 v2/v3 radars, the F-22 Raptor and its ultra-powerful AN/APG-77, the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet and its AN/APG-79, and the new F-16E Block 60 “Desert Falcon” with its AN/APG-80 (in service only with the United Arab Emirates). The UK Ministry of Defence has now awarded a contract to a team led by the boffins at QinetiQ, in order to integrate an Active Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA) on a Tornado GR4A strike aircraft by 2007 for assessment by the RAF. It’s interesting that the Tornado F3 long-range air defense fighter or Eurofighter were not picked as the upgrade platforms, but there seems to be a method to Britain’s choice… RAF Eurofighter(click to view full) In terms of Britain’s future fighter force, the Eurofighter will generally replace the Tornado F3 air defense fighters. Upgrading the F3s, therefore, makes little sense. The Eurofighters sport advanced ECR-90 CAPTOR […]