The USA’s RC-12X Guardrail SIGINT Modernization

They’re derived from Hawker-Beechcraft’s popular King Air B200 twin-prop planes, and they look like a dog that just finished chasing a family of porcupines. Their specialty is intercepting enemy communications, and snooping on electronic emissions. At one time, these light “RC-12 Guardrail” aircraft were one of the 3 electronic eavesdropping and surveillance planes slated for replacement by the joint Army-Navy Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) jet, after many years of service in remote trouble spots and large-scale wars around the globe. Now, they’re getting a new lease on life.

The $8 billion ACS program’s suspension, “back to square one” delay, and joint status uncertainties, have turned the Guardrails into a critical asset that need to continue serving. That requires performance improvements and modernization of their electronics to match a quickly-evolving field. To that end, long-standing Guardrail fleet prime contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation has been asked to create the latest entry in the Guardrail family.

The RC-12X

Click here to view full-size poster (JPEG, 386k).

The first RU-21 Guardrail aircraft were introduced in 1971, and the role has passed through a number of variants. The most common at present is the RC-12N Guardrail Common Sensor (System 1), delivered in 1992-93. A total of 15 were converted, and 1 was lost in an accident to leave a fleet of 14.

The 9 RC-12P Guardrail Common Sensor (System 2) planes have different mission equipment, including datalink capabilities, fiber optic cabling, and smaller and lighter wing pods. They entered service in 1998. The 3 derivative RC-12Q Direct Air Satellite Relay planes were modified in order to expand the other RC-12Ps’ ability to stay within communications coverage. Hence the notable dome on the top of those aircraft. They were delivered in 2000.

Under this contract, Northrop Grumman will continue upgrading and enhancing about half of this fleet of 27, bringing 14 Guardrail aircraft to the RC-12X version and extending their operational lives to 2025.

The new RC-12X will feature basic aircraft improvements, via a new glass cockpit and structural upgrades. Its core improvements, however, will involve sensors, electronics, and software.

Indeed, Northrop Grumman hopes to reduce the plane’s payload weight as it swaps in smaller, more powerful electronics. It happens to your computers; it happens to theirs, too. This extra space, and the ability of more advanced components to do “double duty” in some cases, will allow the program to address new threats and situations as they evolve.

Over the life of the program, the idea is to improve the Guardrail’s ability to process and exploit intercepted signals, while adding precision geo-location from a single aircraft (“Arrow”), “multi-INT” capability to perform more than 1 kind of intelligence gathering mission, upgraded situational awareness and communications by tying it into critical Army systems like DCGS, and improved overall systems performance. “Arrow” is touted as being especially important for reducing the time from signals interception to a strike on target, and the firm is also advertising the ability to find and track multiple high-value targets at the same time.

All aspects of the RC-12’s work are closely guarded, and even modern photos are rare. There are rumors that the RC-12X may contain parts of the Advanced Signals Intelligence Payload, originally developed for the U-2 spy plane and RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV.

Northrop Grumman says that the upgrades will be implemented in an incremental, evolutionary approach rather than a “big bang to standard configuration.” Despite this incremental approach, Northrop Grumman ultimately intends to provide a single standard RC-12 configuration for the entire fleet.

Contracts & Key Events

December 13/17: Contracts-Life Cycle Services The US Army has awarded Northrop Grumman a $750 million contract for life cycle services on the service’s Special Electronic Mission Aircraft fleet. 75 fixed-wing airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance planes will be covered under the agreement, including RC-12X Guardrail, the Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance Surveillance System and Airborne Reconnaissance Low variants. The period of performance is one year, with eight one-year options, and work to be carried out includes program management, systems engineering and modification, supply chain management, and aircraft modifications and elective upgrades. King Aerospace, Inc. and M1 Support Service will also participate in work under the contract.

March 5/13: Spare me. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Chantilly, VA receives a 5-year, $49.3 million firm-fixed-price, sole-source, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for Guardrail Modernization System spare parts.

Given previous delivery schedule announcements, it’s likely that all 14 contracted RC-12X aircraft have been delivered.

Work will be performed in Virginia and California until March 5/18, using FY 2013 through FY 2017 Army Working Capital funds. The Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime ground at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD manages the contract (SPRBL1-13-D-0012).

July 12/12: Mission 1,000. Northrop Grumman announces that its RC-12X Guardrails recently completed their 1,000th mission since going into theater in 2011. That’s around 2 missions per day, every single day. So, yeah, they’re busy.

June 14-16/11: 40th Anniversary. The US Army and Northrop Grumman Corporation celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Guardrail System, at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. With respect to the latest RC-12X, NGC says:

“The second two aircraft recently completed final outfitting and testing for operational deployment. An additional 10 RC-12X’s will be fielded in the 2011-2012 timeframe.”

Jan 5/10: Testing. Northrop Grumman Corporation announces successful electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) testing on the first modernized RC-12X Guardrail. EMI/EMC testing validates operation of the aircraft’s electronic systems in a large, electromagnetically shielded chamber. Various combinations of the avionics and sensor payload equipment are operated independently and simultaneously to identify potential sources of interference or compatibility issues that can effect operations. EMI/EMC testing is required before an airworthiness certificate can be issued. The firm adds that:

“This most recent test was one in a series of successful assessments before delivery to the Army, currently scheduled for summer 2010. Subsystem tests are underway in Northrop Grumman’s Systems Integration Labs (SILs) in Sacramento, Calif. Ground testing of communications links and basic system functionality begins this month, and flight testing is scheduled to begin in early 2010.”

See also: Flight International.

Additional Readings

* Federation of American Scientists – Guardrail Common Sensor / RC12

* Global Security – RC-12 Guardrail

* Northrop Grumman – Guardrail. Terse. The product datasheet [PDF] has a bit more.

* US Army PEO-STRI – RC-12X Cockpit Procedural Trainer (CPT)