Northrop Grumman has successfully installed a production APG-83 scalable agile beam radar (SABR) on-board an F/A-18C Hornet multi-role combat jet used by the US Marine Corps (USMC).
The installation of the APG-83 radar was carried out at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California, US.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Northrop Grumman previously conducted a fit check on the SABR at the request of the USMC on 2 August.
The evaluation proved the radar to be a low-risk option for installation on-board the F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft.
Northrop Grumman Integrated Avionics Systems vice-president Greg Simer said: “The Marine Corps asked for an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) solution due to the radar’s increase in reliability and sustainability with no decrease in operational performance.
“The Marine Corps’ stated objective is to modify an in-production, fielded AESA, while meeting the current size, weight, power and cooling requirements of the F/A-18 C/D.
“We have proven our production APG-83 SABR radar fits into the F/A-18 C/D, achieving the objectives and bringing the technical maturity needed to attain the Marine Corps fleet insertion timelines.”
The APG-83 SABR is a multi-function AESA fire-control radar, which is intended to provide the USMC with advanced fighter capabilities to enable personnel to counter and defeat increasingly upgraded and modern threats.
It is also slated to help address the USMC’s current survivability, reliability and maintainability concerns.
The Marine Corps currently plans to upgrade and modernise the APG-83 radars on a total of approximately 100 F/A-18C/D combat jets as part of the initiative.
