In a recent flight test Raytheon [RTN] demonstrated a single-ship geolocation capability for the ALR-69A(V), the first for a radar warning receiver, the company said Monday.
The AN/ALR-69A(V) is an all-digital radar warning receiver. It enhances aircrew survivability by providing “sensors forward” situational awareness at lower costs than competing system through simple software modifications, the company said.
The radar warning receiver provides improved detection range and unambiguous identification even in dense signal environments comprised of threat signals as well as signals from wingmen, coalition partners, and commercial operations. It has 360-degree coverage through four independent radar receivers and was developed with a modular, open architecture design, Raytheon said.
The company said that geolocation capabilities offer aircrews more options, allowing pilots to decide whether to maneuver to avoid threats or engaging with it. Without geolocation, aircrews only had an approximate direction of the arrival of threat signals. With geolocation, the AN/ALR-69A(V) provides aircrews with “precise information on ground-based threat locations and precision-direction finding for airborne threats,” the company said in a statement.
“Adding single-ship geolocation capability to a radar warning receiver transforms the way pilots execute their missions. The ALR-69A can now assist with targeting solutions while continuing to identify threats in dense signal environments,” Paul Overstreet, ALR-69A program manager at Raytheon’s space and airborne systems business unit, added.