Lockheed Martin has announced that it has received a $600 million contract from Northrop Grumman for multi-year production of 24 additional APY-9 radars for the U.S. Navy’s E-2D aircraft program. Also known as the Advanced Hawkeye Program, US Navy’s APY-9 radar program is nearing completion of a current five-year production contract in 2020, and this new award calls for another five years of production – with deliveries spanning from 2021 to 2025. The latest radar order will include Lockheed Martin’s new Advanced Radar Processor.
The APY-9 radar is an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) surveillance system that provides both mechanical and electronic scanning capabilities designed to detect smaller targets – and more of them – at a greater range, particularly in coastal regions and over land. The APY-9 provides the enhanced airborne command and control and expanded surveillance for the Navy’s E-2D aircraft. The radar is an all-weather, airborne, early warning radar designed to detect small, highly maneuverable targets in the dense littoral and overland environments.
It features both mechanical and electronic scanning modes, providing the warfighter with full range 360° situational awareness and the ability to augment with electronic scanning to dedicate extra resources to challenging targets or 90° sectors, in any direction. The Radar detects both air and sea surface targets simultaneously. Its unique STAP architecture suppresses clutter, jamming, and other sources of electromagnetic interference, focusing on the target. The APY-9 operates at UHF which is ideal for long range detection of stressing targets. High Power Solid-State transmitter electronics increases reliability and sensitivity. Advanced Processing enables flexible beam management and enhanced target processing.
The radar production work is being performed at Lockheed Martin sites in Syracuse and Owego, New York, and Clearwater, Florida.
