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F-16V radar integration clears way for Taiwan upgrade
Quote:
F-16V radar integration clears way for Taiwan upgrade
Marina Malenic, Washington, DC and James Hardy, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
21 August 2014
The F-16V upgrade, which is to be equipped with an AESA radar, will improve interoperability between legacy platforms and fifth-generation aircraft coming into service. Source: Lockheed Martin
Key Points
Lockheed Martin has integrated an AESA radar onto an F-16V, its designation for its latest upgrade suite for legacy aircraft
Taiwan can now begin receiving the upgrade to 144 of its Block 20 F-16A/Bs
Lockheed Martin has completed the integration of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar as part of its FR-16V upgrade programme, the company announced on 20 August.
Taiwan is the launch customer for the new variant of the aircraft, having signed a contract worth up to USD1.85 billion to upgrade its fleet of 144 Block 20 F-16A/B aircraft that was announced in October 2012.
The radar integration and completion of a Critical Design Review guarantees that the Northrop Grumman Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), which is derived from the F-16E/F Block 60 AN/APG-80, meets all specified US Air Force (USAF) and Lockheed Martin requirements, the company said in a statement.
"Completing this milestone on schedule demonstrates our ability to meet programme commitments," said Roderick McLean, a Lockheed vice-president and general manager of the F-16/F-22 Integrated Fighter Group. "It proves once again why customers turn to Lockheed Martin to upgrade their F-16 fleets and advance the mission capability of the world's most effective 4th-generation multi-role fighter."
Along with the SABR upgrade, Taiwan's fleet is to receive enhancements to mission computers, vehicle systems, aircraft structure, cockpit and electronic warfare systems.
The F-16V - the V refers to Viper, the US Air Force's (USAF's) nickname for the F-16 - was unveiled at the 2012 Singapore Airshow. Ana Wugofski, vice-president of international business development at Lockheed Martin, told IHS Jane's at the time that while the major development would be AESA integration, the overall purpose was to ensure compatibility with fifth-generation fighter fleets coming online in the next few years.
"With an increased mission computer and high-speed databus, it is about incorporating more information into the airplane," Wugofski said. "As customers transition to the fifth-generation configurations, the ability to interoperate" will be very important, she added.
Earlier this year the US Air Force cancelled a similar upgrade - the Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) - being developed for Taiwan and newer F-16s in USAF service that was intended to mitigate delays to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
The CAPES upgrade included an AESA radar, high-resolution, multifunction colour displays and an electronic warfare suite. The US announced the USD5.3 billion package in 2011, with Taiwan paying for about 30% of development, but removed CAPES from its 2015 budget request in March due to budget constraints and in order to divert funding to the F-35 programme.
COMMENT
McLean's statement that "customers turn to Lockheed Martin to upgrade their F-16 fleets" is only partially true: BAE Systems won the contract to upgrade South Korea's fleet of 132 F-16C/D Block 52 aircraft and has campaigned hard to persuade other potential customers, such as Singapore, that it is a viable alternative to Lockheed Martin. Boeing has also suggested that it is interested in entering the upgrade market after the success of its work on QF-16 target drones.
"We're not trying to upset the apple cart here, but we want to make sure that Singapore and other customers know that there are alternatives," John Bean, BAE Systems' vice-president of Global Fighter Programs, told IHS Jane's in February 2014.
With more than 4,550 F-16s delivered worldwide and delays to the F-35, the upgrade market is certainly viewed as a major opportunity for industry. Bean said that BAE Systems saw Greece, Turkey, and Egypt as: "having the nearest term need to upgrade their fighters ... [and are] probably closest to our radar", while "all told we see at least 1,000 airplanes out there that are candidates [for upgrades] over the next few years".
IHS Janes
Marina Malenic, Washington, DC and James Hardy, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
21 August 2014
Quote:
The F-16V upgrade, which is to be equipped with an AESA radar, will improve interoperability between legacy platforms and fifth-generation aircraft coming into service. Source: Lockheed Martin
Key Points
Lockheed Martin has integrated an AESA radar onto an F-16V, its designation for its latest upgrade suite for legacy aircraft
Taiwan can now begin receiving the upgrade to 144 of its Block 20 F-16A/Bs
Lockheed Martin has completed the integration of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar as part of its FR-16V upgrade programme, the company announced on 20 August.
Taiwan is the launch customer for the new variant of the aircraft, having signed a contract worth up to USD1.85 billion to upgrade its fleet of 144 Block 20 F-16A/B aircraft that was announced in October 2012.
The radar integration and completion of a Critical Design Review guarantees that the Northrop Grumman Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), which is derived from the F-16E/F Block 60 AN/APG-80, meets all specified US Air Force (USAF) and Lockheed Martin requirements, the company said in a statement.
"Completing this milestone on schedule demonstrates our ability to meet programme commitments," said Roderick McLean, a Lockheed vice-president and general manager of the F-16/F-22 Integrated Fighter Group. "It proves once again why customers turn to Lockheed Martin to upgrade their F-16 fleets and advance the mission capability of the world's most effective 4th-generation multi-role fighter."
Along with the SABR upgrade, Taiwan's fleet is to receive enhancements to mission computers, vehicle systems, aircraft structure, cockpit and electronic warfare systems.
The F-16V - the V refers to Viper, the US Air Force's (USAF's) nickname for the F-16 - was unveiled at the 2012 Singapore Airshow. Ana Wugofski, vice-president of international business development at Lockheed Martin, told IHS Jane's at the time that while the major development would be AESA integration, the overall purpose was to ensure compatibility with fifth-generation fighter fleets coming online in the next few years.
"With an increased mission computer and high-speed databus, it is about incorporating more information into the airplane," Wugofski said. "As customers transition to the fifth-generation configurations, the ability to interoperate" will be very important, she added.
Earlier this year the US Air Force cancelled a similar upgrade - the Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) - being developed for Taiwan and newer F-16s in USAF service that was intended to mitigate delays to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
The CAPES upgrade included an AESA radar, high-resolution, multifunction colour displays and an electronic warfare suite. The US announced the USD5.3 billion package in 2011, with Taiwan paying for about 30% of development, but removed CAPES from its 2015 budget request in March due to budget constraints and in order to divert funding to the F-35 programme.
COMMENT
McLean's statement that "customers turn to Lockheed Martin to upgrade their F-16 fleets" is only partially true: BAE Systems won the contract to upgrade South Korea's fleet of 132 F-16C/D Block 52 aircraft and has campaigned hard to persuade other potential customers, such as Singapore, that it is a viable alternative to Lockheed Martin. Boeing has also suggested that it is interested in entering the upgrade market after the success of its work on QF-16 target drones.
"We're not trying to upset the apple cart here, but we want to make sure that Singapore and other customers know that there are alternatives," John Bean, BAE Systems' vice-president of Global Fighter Programs, told IHS Jane's in February 2014.
With more than 4,550 F-16s delivered worldwide and delays to the F-35, the upgrade market is certainly viewed as a major opportunity for industry. Bean said that BAE Systems saw Greece, Turkey, and Egypt as: "having the nearest term need to upgrade their fighters ... [and are] probably closest to our radar", while "all told we see at least 1,000 airplanes out there that are candidates [for upgrades] over the next few years".
IHS Janes
Jadi juga yach upgrade F-16-nya Taiwan
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