BALTIMORE, March 3, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has delivered the first fire-control radar for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to prime contractor Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Aeronautics Company.
The AN/APG-81 radar, which incorporates an active electronically scanned array, will be used to conduct radome integration testing at Lockheed Martin's Palmdale, Calif., facility. The unmatched multi-mode capability of the radar will support air-to-air, air-to-surface and electronic warfare missions. It will provide the pilot with precision all-weather targeting and advanced air-to-ground automatic target cueing.
"This first hardware delivery marks a substantial milestone in the process of integrating the radar into the F-35 avionics," said John C. Johnson, vice president of Combat Avionics Systems at Northrop Grumman. "We'll start flight-testing the radar later this year in Baltimore on our testbed aircraft, which will further boost the momentum of this nationwide integration effort."
Johnson added that software development for the radar continues on schedule, with nearly a year of integration work completed. Engineers will test the software modes during the upcoming flight-test program.
In joint efforts with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector is also developing the F-35's electro-optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS) and Electro-optical Targeting System (EOTS). The DAS surrounds the aircraft with a protective sphere of situational awareness, warning the pilot of incoming aircraft and missile threats as well as providing day/night vision and additional fire-control capability. The internally mounted EOTS provides longer-range detection and precision targeting of ground and airborne threats.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a supersonic, multi-role stealth fighter designed to replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft, including the AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16, F/A-18, and the United Kingdom's Harrier GR.7 and Sea Harrier. Three variants derived from a common design will ensure the F-35 meets the performance needs of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps as well as allied defense forces worldwide, while also meeting strict affordability requirements.
Northrop Grumman's Baltimore-based Electronic Systems sector is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of defense and commercial electronic systems and sensors, including airborne radar, navigation systems, electronic countermeasures, precision weapons, airspace management systems, communications systems, space sensors, marine and naval systems, government systems and logistics services.