Article Posted on : - May 10, 2016

NEW DELHI (BNS): Leonardo-Finmeccanica has launched Osprey, the latest addition to the company's electronically scanning (E-scan) radar product range.

The Osprey E-Scan radar is the first lightweight airborne surveillance radar to provide a 360 degree field of view without moving parts, a Company said in a statement.

The launch customer for the radar will be Norway, which has purchased Osprey as part of the country's acquisition of 16 Leonardo-Finmeccanica Helicopters AW101s for the NAWSARH programme (Norway All Weather Search And Rescue Helicopter).

In its configuration for NAWSARH, Osprey comprises three flat panels, one on the front of the helicopter and two at the rear, facing out at angles to create the 360 degree field of regard.

Space requirements are minimal and the helicopter's belly is left clear, maximizing ground clearance for challenging rescue landings on rough terrain.

Osprey represents the latest in 'E-scan' technology, meaning that it uses electronic-only means to direct the radar beam - moving it from target to target in fractions of a second.

Because of the speed of these changes in direction, the Osprey radar effectively provides simultaneous coverage in multiple directions, it said.