Northrop Grumman is actively pursuing relationships with Indian companies that will satisfy MMRCA transfer of technology requirements for F-16IN with Northrop Grumman’s AESA radar

Setting The AESA Standard For MMRCA

Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have set the bar high in bringing the Indian Air Force (IAF) the best Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) system in the industry. From a technological standpoint, the AN/APG-80 shares its advanced developmental lineage for hardware and software modes with the F-22’s AN/APG-77 and the F-35’s AN/APG-81. Additionally, the IAF receives the benefit of an operationally proven system.

Northrop Grumman’s world-leading expertise as a radar provider translates into cost savings for future AN/APG-80 customers. We create all our AESA arrays and the fire control systems to which they belong under one roof, making the most of engineering and manufacturing economies. The IAF benefits from the maturity of technology as well as the production techniques we have honed over more than three decades in electronically scanned array technology.

Superior Mission Capability

The F-16IN remains the Ultimate Fourth Generation Fighter for many reasons. The aircraft is highly manoeuverable, and the weapons and avionics systems remain unmatched. The F-16IN’s APG-80 multifunction array radar demonstrated unmatched performance during MMRCA Flight Evaluation Trials in India. With near simultaneous multimode interleaving, the AN/APG-80 allows the pilot to focus on mission performance without the burden of having to manage multiple radar functions. Pilots may continue air-to-air target tracking and identification while maintaining situational awareness of ground threats. Additionally, the AN/APG-80 creates very high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar maps which may be used for day/night, all-weather precision strike missions. The APG-80 is the only AESA radar in the MMRCA competition to have demonstrated its performance in India during MMRCA Flight Evaluation Trials.

In the same fashion the performance capabilities of Northrop Grumman’s F-22 radar (AN/APG-77) and F-35 radar (AN/APG-81) were established by customer specifications determined by customer-unique requirements, the F-16IN APG-80 meets and in some cases exceeds the requirements set forth for the MMRCA competition. The IAF will receive the benefits of existing radar modes that have been used operationally for five years in the F-16 Block 60. The customer will also receive the benefits of shared advancements in hardware and software technology with the AN/APG-77 and AN/APG-81.