The 2020s: a decade of UAV spending growth
Total annual drone spending has increased nearly sixfold since the start of the decade, from $2.9 billion in 2020 to $16.3 billion in 2028, with Europe leading the rise.
US Navy orders AESA radar items for Super Hornets, Growlers
AN/APG-79 AESA radar in the nose of a Super Hornet. (Photo: Raytheon)
Raytheon is providing USN aircraft with components for the AN/APG-79 AESA radar.
Raytheon is providing the USN with 129 items for the AN/APG-79 AESA radar system installed on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft under a new delivery order worth $19.35 million.
‘All work will be performed in Forest, Mississippi,’ the DoD noted on 26 September. ‘This contract contains no options and work is expected to begin October 2022 and be completed by March 2025.’
Shephard Defence Insight notes that the AN/APG-79 is an agile beam radar with a solid-state digital array that scans at nearly the speed of light, enabling detection and tracking of multiple air and ground threats simultaneously.
The array comprises numerous solid-state transmit/receive modules to help almost remove mechanical breakdown. Other system components include a receiver/exciter, ruggedised COTS processor and power supplies.
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