Fri, Feb 18, 2005
The Seeker Works
Northrop Grumman says it recently performed successful
high-speed captive flight tests of its multi-mode air-to-ground
terminal guidance seeker during moving-target engagement exercises
at Eglin Air Force Base.
The exercises, conducted by the US Air Force Research Laboratory
in cooperation with Northrop Grumman, The Boeing Company and
Rockwell Collins successfully demonstrated the seeker's capability
to find, fix, track, target, engage and assess tactical moving
targets based upon targeting information provided by ground forward
air controllers through a weapon data link.
The demonstration featured a Boeing weapon pod simulating the
Small Diameter Bomb. This pod contained the multi-mode seeker, a
Boeing weapon mission computer and a Rockwell Collins Link-16
weapon data link.
The seeker's ability to find, track, and engage single and
multiple moving targets versus varying target speed, aspect, and
Link-16 data link update rates was evaluated. The tests were
conducted in varying weather conditions, including low ceilings and
limited visibility. The Northrop Grumman multi-mode seeker
successfully acquired and tracked targets with greater than a 97
percent success rate at tactically useful ranges.
The tests also evaluated the ability
to use target position updates data linked to the seeker from
ground forward air controllers to accurately acquire the correct
target. The target position data was obtained using Northrop
Grumman's eye-safe Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder.
"The demonstration's success provides a preview of future
network-centric warfare," said Jock McKinley, director of Strike
Programs for Northrop Grumman's Systems Development &
Technology Division. "The successful demonstration supports the Air
Force's requirements to field smart weapons that are interoperable
with today's platforms and to enhance mission effectiveness by
utilizing network-centric and joint operations."
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