June 14 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman has successfully tested a modular panel-based sensor array during flight testing last April.

The system is a multi-function radar that features an open architecture system, allowing it to be easily reprogrammed with different software packages. This can include third-party systems based on mission requirements.


"As mission requirements change, our open architecture sensor is easily adapted to remain the best tool for the mission," Paul Kalafos, vice president of surveillance systems and electronic maneuver warfare at Northrop Grumman, said in a press release.

The radar successfully executed its ground moving target indicator and synthetic aperture radar modes during its first test flight at Northrop Grumman's test facility in Baltimore, Md.

The Ground Moving Target Indicator is designed to detect and track large numbers of ground vehicles over a wide area. It is deployed on a number of aircraft such as the JSTARS surveillance platform.

Synthetic aperture radar uses high resolution radar imagery to map the flight path of the plane and provide topographical and mapping information.