Article Posted on : - Mar 04, 2011

An F/A-18F Super Hornet equipped with the APG-79 AESA radar conducts an operational test mission to evaluate the radar’s ability to support the Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance mission (SCAR). Photo: US Navy.

EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA (BNS): Raytheon has recently delivered its 250th APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to Boeing.

The radars are used on US Navy F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft, and on the Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet.

The APG-79, which can scan vast areas of sky and ground without using moving parts, is 10 to 15 times more reliable than conventional radar.

"The APG-79 radar has revolutionised fighter combat capabilities and dramatically improved situational awareness for aircrews. This combat-proven, advanced radar technology also has logged more than 175,000 operational flight hours," Eric Ditmars, F/A-18 program director, Tactical Airborne Systems, was quoted as saying in a company news release.

The APG-79 AESA radar is in operation with more than a dozen US Navy squadrons. Internationally, the Royal Australian Air Force received the radar system in 2010, marking the delivery of the first foreign military sale of Super Hornets equipped with the APG-79.