The Model 527 Radar Signal Simulator by Textron Systems Electronic Systems has been selected for pre-flight testing of F-35 Lightning II electronic warfare (EW) systems, the company announced on 17 March.
Textron has entered into a three-year indefinite delivery/indefinitely quantity contract with Lockheed Martin to provide Model 527 handheld radar simulators for pre-flight EW system testing on all F-35 variants.
The simulator is designed for walk-around and end-of-runway pre-flight testing to determine the status of the EW radar warning receiver systems. It can be used to verify operational readiness and threat recognition across radomes, cockpit displays, controls, transmission lines and antennas.
The system uses Textron's advanced threat modelling software to simulate various threats, including simple, continuous-wave, pulsed single emitters, and several threats simultaneously modelled by multiplexed radio frequency emitters. Personnel can progress through these simulations on a flight line with a thumb switch to verify aircraft operation.
The Model 527 simulator is compatible with threat file sharing and Textron's pre-flight confidence tester family, including the Joint Service Electronic Combat Systems Tester and the Advanced Architecture Phase, Amplitude and Time Simulator.