AN/APG-67

Last updated
AN/APG-67
Country of origin United States
Introduced1979
Type Solid-state Pulse Doppler Multi-Mode Radar
Frequency X band
Range148 kilometres (92 mi)
Power396 W

The AN/APG-67 is a multi-mode all-digital X band coherent pulse doppler radar originally developed by General Electric for the Northrop F-20 Tigershark program of the early 1980s. It offers a variety of air-to-air, air-to-ground, sea-search and mapping modes, and compatibility with most weapons used by the US Air Force in the 1980s.

Contents

When the F-20 project ended in the mid-1980s and no other U.S. sales were immediately forthcoming, GE sold off its radar division. It eventually became part of Lockheed Martin, which sells the APG-67 for use on light fighters and trainer aircraft. It has been selected for the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo of Taiwan, and the Korean FA-50 fighter variant of the T-50 Golden Eagle. [1]

Description

The APG-67 is a modern radar featuring a planar phased array antenna and simplified electronics housed in three line-replaceable units, one of these being the radar "dish" itself. The entire system weighs less than 160 pounds (73 kg) and takes up less than 1.9 cubic feet (0.054 m3). All communications with the cockpit is handled using the MIL-STD-1553 data bus; the data bus allows the data from any of the aircraft's sensors to be shown on any of the in-cockpit displays, or sent to other aircraft using a data link.

The system broadcasts an average power of 396 watts, allowing it to detect fighter-sized targets at up to 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) in tracking modes, and up to 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) in velocity search. In the air-to-air mode it offers long-range velocity search, track-while-scan with up to ten tracked targets, and a variety of single-target-track and auto-lockon "dogfight" modes. It has a variety of pulse repetition frequencies that are automatically selected depending on whether or not the antenna is looking up or down. [2]

The APG-67 also includes a variety of air-to-ground modes including real beam ground mapping, synthetic aperture radar imaging (SAR) and beacon tracking. [2] It can also search for moving targets on the ground and offers tracking modes for ground targets similar to those for air-to-air use. These modes can also be used for sea-surface-search, in which case the display is de-cluttered to remove waves. The SAR mode is an optional add-on to the basic system. [3]

History

For many years Northrop had worked with Emerson Electric to provide a series of radars for their F-5 series. The original F-5A/B was designed as a light strike aircraft and had only a rudimentary ranging radar for the gunsight, and very little room in the nose for anything else. When the F-5 airframe was adapted into the F-5E/F for the air-to-air role, Emerson designed the AN/APQ-153 to fit into the extremely limited space in the F-5's nose. The small space and severe weight limitations meant that the APQ-153 could offer only the most basic features, including basic single-target-track and a scanning mode with a range about 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi). A further upgrade produced the AN/APQ-159, which offered longer range of about 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi), as well as offering a number of practical improvements like wider scanning angles and improved reliability.

When Northrop started work on the latest member of the F-5 family, then known as the F-5G, Emerson was initially selected to produce a version of the APQ-159 with the capability of firing the AIM-7 Sparrow missile at beyond visual range. However, as the project was repeatedly re-positioned during the late 1970s, Northrop developed the requirement for a much more capable design, able to support both air-to-air and air-to-ground modes like the radars being used in modern designs like the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Emerson's earlier designs were all analog systems so they were not a "shoe in" for the digital system Northrop was looking for, and they threw open the competition to anyone with a suitable design. Several proposals were returned, and General Electric eventually won the contract. [4]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop F-20 Tigershark</span> Prototype fighter aircraft developed from F-5

The Northrop F-20 Tigershark is a light fighter, designed and built by Northrop. Its development began in 1975 as a further evolution of Northrop's F-5E Tiger II, featuring a new engine that greatly improved overall performance, and a modern avionics suite including a powerful and flexible radar. Compared with the F-5E, the F-20 was much faster, gained beyond-visual-range air-to-air capability, and had a full suite of air-to-ground modes capable of utilizing most U.S. weapons. With these improved capabilities, the F-20 became competitive with contemporary fighter designs such as the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, but was much less expensive to purchase and operate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Active electronically scanned array</span> Type of phased array radar

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">AN/APG-66</span> Radar designed for the U.S. F-16 aircraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">AN/APG-63 radar family</span> American all-weather multimode radar family

The AN/APG-63 and AN/APG-70 are a family of all-weather multimode radar systems designed by Hughes Aircraft for the F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter. These X band pulse-Doppler radar systems are designed for both air-air and air-ground missions; they are able to look up at high-flying targets and down at low-flying targets without being confused by ground clutter. The systems can detect and track aircraft and small high-speed targets at distances beyond visual range down to close range, and at altitudes down to treetop level. The radar feeds target information into the aircraft's central computer for effective weapons delivery. For close-in dogfights, the radar automatically acquires enemy aircraft and projects this information onto the cockpit head-up display. The name is assigned from the Army Navy Joint Electronics Type Designation System.

The AN/APG-65 and AN/APG-73 are designations for a family of all-weather multimode airborne radar systems designed by Hughes Aircraft for the F/A-18 Hornet, and used on a variety of fighter aircraft types. The APG-79 is an upgraded AESA version.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">AN/APG-77</span> Type of radar system

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">AN/APG-81</span> Radar system

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">AN/APQ-153</span>

The Emerson Electric AN/APQ-153 was an I band radar system developed for the Northrop F-5E fighter aircraft. Required to fit into the tight confines of the originally radar-less F-5, the system offered relatively simple air-to-air modes and a short detection range. The AN/APQ-157 was a similar system with dual displays and controls for the twin-seat F-5F trainer. Many of the F-5s still flying have been upgraded to the improved AN/APQ-159.

The Emerson Electric AN/APQ-159 was an I band/J band radar designed to upgrade Emerson's simple AN/APQ-153 used in the Northrop F-5. It offered roughly double the range, increased off-boresight tracking angles, and considerably improved reliability. Originally intended to be replaced by the further improved AN/APQ-167, modernized F-5s have typically moved to the entirely new AN/APG-69 instead.

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The AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) is a full-performance active electronically scanned array fire control radar for the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and other aircraft developed by Northrop Grumman. SABR is a multi-function active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. In a 2013 competition, Lockheed Martin selected SABR as the AESA radar for the F-16 modernization and update programs of the United States Air Force and Republic of China Air Force.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">AN/APQ-120</span> Aircraft fire control radar

The AN/APQ-120 was an aircraft fire control radar (FCR) manufactured by Westinghouse for the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II. AN/APQ-120 has a long line of lineage, with its origin traced all the way back to Aero-13 FCR developed by the same company in the early 1950s. A total of half a dozen FCRs were tested and evaluated on the first 18 F-4s built, but they were soon replaced by later radars produced in great numbers, including AN/APQ-120.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airborne Interception radar</span>

Airborne Interception radar, or AI for short, is the British term for radar systems used to equip aircraft in air-to-air role. These radars are used primarily by Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm night fighters and interceptors for locating and tracking other aircraft, although most AI radars could also be used in a number of secondary roles as well. The term was sometimes used generically for similar radars used in other countries.

The Grifo radar is a family of airborne radars developed by Italian firm Leonardo S.p.A. for fighter aircraft and attack aircraft, and this family of radars includes several series.

References

  1. ↑ "Korean Aerospace T-50 Golden Eagle Archived May 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine ", FLUG REVUE, July 8, 2004
  2. 1 2 "APG-67 Multimode Radar" Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine , B0201-APG-67 (SA), Lockheed Martin, March 2004
  3. ↑ "AN/APG-67", Jane's Radar and Electronic Warfare Systems, November 12, 2007
  4. ↑ Mark Wade, "F-20 Tigershark AN/APG-67(V) Radar", F-20A Tigershark Home Page, 1997
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