Retrofit AESAs Set For F-16 Tests Next Year

Northrop Grumman plans to begin rooftop testing next week of the Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) under company-funded development for retrofit into the Lockheed Martin F-16 while rival Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) is in laboratory testing.

Both companies hope to flight test their active electronically scanned arrays (AESAs) in the F-16 in 2009.

The SABR panel array and receiver/exciter/processor line-replaceable units will be tested on a system bench on the roof of Northrop's plant in Baltimore, Md., says program manager Dave Wallace. Aircraft flying in and out of the neighboring international airport will be used as targets.

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