Northrop Grumman’s AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned array radar is being considered by Boeing for the Cold War-era B-52 bomber.

The company said it is pitching the modern radar to Boeing as part of the B-52 Bomber Modernisation Radar System initiative, which would include engineering, manufacturing, development and delivery of an initial seven radar units.

A version of the scalable agile beam radar system (SABR) has also been developed for the Rockwell B-1B fleet, says Northrop Grumman. The company already has been pitching its radar for the US Marine Corps F/A-18C/D Hornet strike fighter. In June 2018, it successfully performed a fit check on the F/A-18.

“The SABR and SABR-Global Strike family of radars provides differentiating capability for air dominance and strike missions,” says Tom Jones, vice president and general manager, airborne C4ISR systems, Northrop Grumman. “Our hot production and sustainment lines are already in place to support our current and future customers’ needs for decades to come.”

Boeing B-52 bomber

Northrop Grumman

The AN/APG-83 radar was selected in 2017 for upgrades on 72 Lockheed Martin F-16s operated by the US National Guard. Northrop Grumman says it is in full-rate production of the radar in support of F-16 upgrade programmes for international and US military customers.

The radar borrows some capabilities from the AN/APG-77 radar used on the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the AN/APG-81 used on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightening II. Northrop Grumman claims the radar offers improved target detection and tracking range, among other enhancements, over legacy mechanically scanned radars.

Source: FlightGlobal.com