$171 Million For 4 Complete Systems And Spare Parts
Lockheed Martin has received a low-rate initial production
contract valued at $171.8 million from Northrop Grumman Aerospace
Systems in Bethpage, NY, for four AN/APY-9 Airborne Early Warning
(AEW) radar systems and spare parts. The radar systems will be
integrated into the U.S. Navy's new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
aircraft.
"The APY-9 radar will provide unprecedented capability to the
U.S. Navy and allied forces operating in the littorals to detect
and track airborne and cruise missile threats," said Carl Bannar,
vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Radar
Systems business, headquartered in Syracuse, NY. "This radar
represents a two-generation leap in AEW capability."
Designed and developed by Lockheed Martin, the AN/APY-9 radar
features both a solid-state transmitter with higher power than its
predecessor for extended range, as well as digital receivers to
increase sensitivity. The UHF radar can "see" smaller targets --
and more of them -- at a greater range, particularly in coastal
regions and over land. Its electronically scanned array provides
critically important, continuous 360-degree coverage. As a new
capability, flight operators also can now focus the radar on select
areas of interest.
Two engineering-development models and four pre-production radar
systems are currently in flight and qualification testing. Over the
last several months, the Navy/Industry integrated test team has
flown more than 230 radar flights, performing multiple hours of
over-water, near-land and over-land radar operations. Mission
system and radar-related testing are currently ahead of
schedule.
Navy E-2D
"We are pleased with the radar's detection performance," said
Dr. Doug Reep, Lockheed Martin's program management director for
AEW Radar. "Software updates are being released as scheduled and,
with each release, the radar has demonstrated improved stability
and performance during flight tests. We are confident we will meet
the challenges of the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation
scheduled to begin at the first quarter fiscal year 2012."
Lockheed Martin will produce AN/APY-9 radars to equip all 75
planned U.S. Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Lockheed Martin
has produced several generations of AEW radars for the aircraft
over four decades. Lockheed Martin's AN/APS-145 airborne radar is
currently aboard in-service E-2C Hawkeyes and Hawkeye 2000
aircraft.