March 18, 2007:
The U.S. Navy was eagerly looking
forward to using the new APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)
radar in its carrier based F-18Fs. The radar was ready to go, but the software
wasn't. The H3 version of the software installed with the APG-79 last Summer,
turned out to have some problems. The biggest ones were the delays in locking
on targets (several seconds, which it should be less than second) and
diagnostics that didn't. There is a new version of the software, H4, that is
being tested to make sure the earlier problems were all fixed.
AESA systems consist of thousands of tiny radars
that can be independently aimed in different directions. This makes it
possible, for a sufficiently powerful AESA radar, to focus enough energy to
damage aircraft or missiles. The U.S. has already been doing this with the
high-powered microwave (HPM) effects generated by similar AESA radars used in
F14, F35 and F22 aircraft. The APG-79 can also be used to deceive the radars of
enemy missiles or aircraft, and detect stealthy targets at long ranges (200
kilometers or more.)
AESA type radars have been around a long time,
popular mainly for their ability deal with lots of targets simultaneously. But
AESAs ability to focus a concentrated beam of radio energy, that can scramble
electronic components of a distant target, are becoming a more practical
capability. This is sort of like the EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) put out by
nuclear weapons.
In addition to AESA radars
installed in newly built F-18s, older F-18s will get the APG-79 radar installed
as an upgrade. It will take about seven years to get some 400 AESA equipped
F-18Fs into service. While the main reason for using AESA is to better track
separate targets simultaneously, and with better accuracy, the navy, like the
air force, is intent on improving and exploiting the electronic warfare aspect
of this radar as well. However, the electronic warfare angle depends a lot on
the system software, and, in the case of the APG-79, software proved to be the
weakest link.