Radar Ranges Of Different Fighters

[Manticore]

Kanwa had an interview with PAF's General Javaid Ahmed, during which he stated that:
- In 2012, they will be bring out the JF17 Blk 2. The main improvements are the addition of IRF, the development of a twin seat version, adding datalink and development of an export version JF17.
- happy with the performance of the KJL7, so no immediate plans to switch to AESA (KJL7 specs: detection range for fighter sized target 130km; can track 16 targets and engage 2 at the same time; have SAR mapping capability)
- The Chinese indigenous engine is currently undergoing flight testing and may be a while before it is fitted to a JF17
- In 2011 the JF17 test fired: 1 x C802 (hit a seaborne target 90km away, max range 180km); 2 x LS-6 bombs, one is a 500kg GPS guided weapon with 60km range and CEP of 15m, the other was a 250kg laser/IIR+GPS guided weapon with a range of 65km and CEP of 5.3-7.5m; SD10 and other weapons.

translation credits -Plawolf




KLJ-7 Airborne Radar
The KLJ-7 is an X-band airborne fire-control radar (FCR) uses a mechanically-steered slotted array antenna. The KLJ-7 has multiple modes, both beyond-visual-range (BVR) and close-in air-to-air modes, ground surveillance modes and a robust anti-jamming capability. The radar can reportedly manage up to 40 targets, monitor up to 10 of them in track-while-scan (TWS) mode and simultaneously fire on two BVR targets.

* Frequency : X-band
* A mechanically-steered slotted array antenna
* 14 Operational Modes
* Range more than 100 km
* Total targets tracked: 10 in TWS (Track-While-Scan) mode
* Reliability:
o MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure): 220 hours
o MTTR (Mean Time To Recovery): 0.5 hours
* Weight less than 120 kg
* Composition
o Antenna Unit
o Receiver Unit
o Transmitter Unit
o Processor Unit
o Power Supply Unit
o Auxiliary Transmitter Unit
http://www.defence.pk/forums/jf-17-thunder/71435-jf-17-thunder-information-pool-7.html#post1612677

 

[MiG-21]

Fighter sized targets is vague. MiG-21 is a fighter, so is the Su-30. It would be helpful if RCS figures accompanied the ranges.
Is there a link to the interview?

 

[sancho]

Fighter sized targets is vague. MiG-21 is a fighter, so is the Su-30. It would be helpful if RCS figures accompanied the ranges.
Is there a link to the interview?

This generation of radars normally take RCS of 5m² as the base for normal fighter size and that's given in the official brochure posted above too (operation range) and new PESA and AESA radars give 3m² as the normal fighter size.

 

[MiG-21]

Had blocked third party images. So didn't see the pics before. Much thanks for the interview.
Have already seen the KLJ-7 brochure from the blog.

This generation of radars normally take RCS of 5m² as the base for normal fighter size and that's given in the official brochure posted above too (operation range) and new PESA and AESA radars give 3m² as the normal fighter size.

Yea, they do, don't they. However there are exceptions, like Zaslon-M which quotes even 15m2 RCS and APG-66v2 which quotes 6.



In any case, it is hard to believe that the mechanically-steered slotted array KLJ-7 which is a smaller radar weighing only 120kgs built by a little known CETC in 2008, and meant for a very-light fighter like the JF-17, has the same range as Northrop Grumman's latest mechanically-steered slotted array APG-68v9 weighing 170 kgs developed in 2006, and meant for a medium-light fighter like the F-16. And while this brochure which was taken from some blog, & says 105km for 5m2, Janes OTOH quotes CETC and provides a figure of 75km for 3m2(85km for 5m2). If the blog's brochure was of KLJ-10 it would have been more believable. Is there an official brochure for the KLJ-10?

 

[ziaulislam]

its the official bronche ..problem is most of radar ranges you have quoted are wrong..i have seen janes sources it quotes 75 km for 3m2. but again its old news, they havent updated them selves .

weight of agp-68 is 164 kg(compared to 120 kg of klj-7) but no where officially i have seen its range. it compare itself to its own previous version but we dont have ranges for them too. i only see that it quotes it has increase the range over 30% to older versions..

 

[Dazzler]

Ok long story short being told here,jf-17>su-30mki.
It can see first over su-30s old radar,and also kill first with its sd-10bvr to su-30s poor old 50km r-77.Su-30 is a oversized junk with old radar that doesn't work anywhere near full capacity as that would be tantamount to fanboyism of indians,has a old BVR called r-77 which actually has a range mostly of abt 50km.SD-10 let alone pl-21s make mincemeat out of it.
Ok got it.

totally unnecessary post and a failed attempt to troll. Go have a nice time in Indian thread. Post reported!

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Scroll back and see that's what has been implied in several posts.Sry if it burned not my problem.

 

[MiG-21]

its the official bronche ..problem is most of radar ranges you have quoted are wrong..i have seen janes sources it quotes 75 km for 3m2. but again its old news, they havent updated them selves .

weight of agp-68 is 164 kg(compared to 120 kg of klj-7) but no where officially i have seen its range. it compare itself to its own previous version but we dont have ranges for them too. i only see that it quotes it has increase the range over 30% to older versions..

The older radar mentioned in the brochure whose range is taken as the base over which 30~33% increase in range was claimed is the APG-68(V)7 radar which has a range of 80km for 5m2 target(v8 radar is an export variant of v7 and has no range increase). Do note that the 105km for 5m2 for APG-68v9 is the consensus on f-16.net. That site is the mecca for F-16 pilots and fans. They sometimes tend to exhibit fanboyism and go overboard in defending their fav fighter but they are also the most authoritative people on the internet on the F-16. So when they say the range is 105km for 5m2, the real range maybe less than 105km for 5m2, but never more than that.

 

[Donatello]

The older radar mentioned in the brochure whose range is taken as the base over which 30~33% increase in range was claimed is the APG-68(V)7 radar which has a range of 80km for 5m2 target(v8 radar is an export variant of v7 and has no range increase). Do note that the 105km for 5m2 for APG-68v9 is the consensus on f-16.net. That site is the mecca for F-16 pilots and fans. They sometimes tend to exhibit fanboyism and go overboard in defending their fav fighter but they are also the most authoritative people on the internet on the F-16. So when they say the range is 105km for 5m2, the real range maybe less than 105km for 5m2, but never more than that.

New blk52 F-16s have the APG 68(v9), and it's range is more than 100km.....

JF-17's detection range is more than 100km, also. That is why PAF is satisfied with it.

 

[Cool_Soldier]

Lets the New bird come in....then will be easy to get info about it.
Waiting to see JF17 block-2 in action.

 

[Mech]

Hi, The purpose of this thread is to discuss the various aspects of Airborne RADAR systems across the world. Feel free to contribute.

AAQ-13/AAQ-14 LANTIRN

The LANTIRN (Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared System for Night) is a two-pod system fitted to F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. It can also be operated by any aircraft that has a MIL-STD-1553B digital databus/multiplexer. LANTIRN permits an aircraft to fly at very low levels at night or in limitedvisibility conditions and conduct attacks with no external targeting data provided.

Single-pilot operation is possible because of the high degree of automation and the integrated symbology. The pods are fitted under the engine intakes in both the F-15 and F-16. The AAQ-13 is the navigation pod. It is fitted with a Texas Instruments J-band Terrain-Following Radar (TFR) that can be set in any one of five radar modes: manual TFR flight at preset altitudes from 1,000 ft (305 m) to 100 ft (30.5 m); Very Low Clearance (VLC) mode; weather mode permitting TFR flight in rain or othervisible moisture; the Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) mode, designed to reduce detectability; and Electronic Counter- Countermeasures (ECCM) mode, which emphasizes immunity to ECM.

The navigational Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) has a selectable Field of View (FOV), using a wide, 6° FOV or the narrow, more precise 1.7° FOV. The FLIR can look into a turn or have its FOV offset 11° to either side for a "snap-look." The AAQ-14 is the targeting pod and is also fitted with its own ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and pod control computer.

The nose section rolls to allow targeting by the gimballed FLIR and Litton Laser Systems Laser Designator Rangefinder (LDR) in a wide range of flight attitudes. The FLIR has a selectable FOV and is capable of precision pointing and automatic tracking of designated targets; space and weight provisions have been made for an automatic target recognition capability. A typical night-attack mission uses the targeting pod first by displaying a wide FOV image on the pilot's Head-Down Display (HDD). He switches to a narrow FOV for magnification and activates on the LDR. A Hughes missile boresight correlator allows the pod's targeting data to be handed off automatically to the Maverick's seeker. The LDR is also used as a target marker for LGB and as a rangefinder for unguided, free-fall ordnance.

VARIANTS

Sharpshooter is the targeting pod without the IR missile boresight correlator that is used with the Maverick IR missile.

Pathfinder is the simplified FLIR pod for close-air support missions in night or adverse weather conditions. Main component is the steerable, navigational FLIR from LANTIRN with dual FOV. It can be integrated with any aircraft equipped with MIL-STD-1553B digital databus and stroke/raster HUD.

DEVELOPMENT

Development began in 1980 by Martin Marietta in Orlando, Florida. US Air Force flight tests began in 1983 and totaled over 2,800 hours by the end of 1988. Development of the targeting pods experienced delays due to inability to meet AF performance requirements. As a result, the targeting pods began production at a slower rate than the navigational pods. The first production navigation pod was delivered in April 1987; delivery of the first production targeting pod was delayed until June 1988.

Sharpshooter pods have been exported to Israel and Pathfinders to Egypt. Full LANTIRN outfits have been sold to the Turkish and South Korean air forces. LANTIRN II is an upgraded version of the LANTIRN in development since late 1989. LANTIRN II is designed to be located in the nose of the aircraft. The system's dual-aperture design combines the navigation and targeting capabilities, and the system is guided by a headsteered helmet-mounted display.

COMBAT EXPERIENCE

LANTIRNs were deployed with the two squadrons of F-15Es that flew against Iraqi targets during Operation Desert Storm and were considered a great success. The combination of the aircraft's APG-70 radar, the navigation and targeting pods, and Paveway-series LGBs resulted in very precise strikes against bridges, command and- control links, road networks, armored formations, airfields, and fixed and mobile Scud Tactical Ballistic Missile (TBM) sites by two-aircraft teams. These teams consisted of one aircraft flying with both the navigation and targeting pod and the other carrying only the navigation pod (because of targeting pod shortages). Each aircraft carried eight GBU-12 500-lb (227-kg) LGBs; in some attacks, all 16 bombs were put on their targets, according to the Air Force. 72 F-16s carried only the navigation pod, which was credited with significantly expanding the aircraft's night and adverse-weather capability. According to the US Air Force, LANTIRN reliability on these aircraft was over 98%.

SPECIFICATIONS

LENGTH

navigation pod: 6 ft 6.2 in (1.99m)
targeting pod: 8 ft 2'/2 in (2.5 m)

DIAMETER

navigation pod: 12 in (305 mm)
targeting pod: 15 in (381 mm)

 

[Vritra]

Okay, LANTIRN is a sensor, but technically, it isn't radar... Yeah, obvious, thought I'd mention it anyway.

 

[Mech]

Okay, LANTIRN is a sensor, but technically, it isn't radar... Yeah, obvious, thought I'd mention it anyway.

Its mentioned.

 

[Mech]

APG-63 ( pulse-Doppler system )

The AN/APG-63 multimode radar was developed for the F-15 Eagle fighter. The pulse-Doppler system uses a planar-array antenna and can operate on several selectable frequencies. The reliability goal of a 60-hour Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) has proved elusive. In recent years, the average MTBF was 30—35 hours. Four air-to-air modes include a search mode and three air-combat modes. Supersearch is the least discriminating, locking onto the first target to enter the F-15's Head-Up Display (HUD) field of view and marking it for the pilot. Vertical scan searches the vertical axis ahead of the aircraft. In the boresight mode, the antenna looks straight ahead and the radar notes any target coming into that cone.

The air-to-ground modes are ground mapping, an Inertial Navigation System (INS) velocity update mode, and an automatic bomb-release mode. The system also has Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) capability and automatic target acquisition out to lOnm (11.5 mi; 18.5km). Hughes introduced a programmable signal processor with 96 kilobytes of memory in 1979 to improve ground mapping and close formation target discrimination capabilities. Further software updates provide Track-While-Scan (TWS) and compatibility with the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The APG-63 also flies in US Customs Service P-3A Orion maritime patrol craft for use against drug smugglers.

VARIANTS

APG-63 MSIP included more memory and a programmable signal processor as part of the F-15 Multistaged Improvement Program (MSIP). APG-70 is the production version of a greatly enhanced APG-63 design.

DEVELOPMENT

Production began in the early 1970s and ended in September 1986; manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Co.'s Radar Systems Group, Los Angeles, California. In service in US, Israeli, Japanese, and Saudi Arabian F-15s and in US Customs Service P-3s.

 

[Mech]

APG-65

The AN/APG-65 is the digital multimode radar in the US Navy's F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter. It can be used with the Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles and the 20- mm gun for air-to-air combat, and a variety of conventional and guided weapons for ground attack. The system consists of five Line- Replaceable Units (LRU) including an elliptical, flat-plate, electrically driven planar-array antenna that has low sidelobes for better Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) resistance.

Two of the LRUs are a liquid-cooled, gridded Traveling Wave Tube (TWT) transmitter and a Receiver/Exciter that houses the analog-to-digital converter and uses Field-Effect Transistors (FET).A general-purpose Radar Data Processor (RDP) has a 250,000-word 16-bit bulk storage memory. The digital Programmable Signal Processor (PSP) operates at 7.2 million operations per second.

The radar has a large variety of air-toair and air-to-surface modes. In the air-to air mode, the APG-65 presents a clean display in both look-up and look-down conditions and has all-aspect target detection. The radar can perform velocity search, Range-While-Search (RWS), monopulse single-target tracking, Track- While-Scan (TWS) of up to 10 targets simultaneously, raid assessment to distinguish among closely spaced targets and gun director using pulse-to-pulse frequency agility for short-range sighting for the 20-mm cannon. The short-range Air- Combat Maneuvering (ACM) target acquisition modes are displaying a target in the Head-Up Display (HUD) and vertical and boresight acquisition.

Surface-attack modes include realbeam ground mapping, Doppler beam sharpening, terrain avoidance, precision velocity update for the Inertial Navigation System (INS), sea surface search, airto- surface ranging, fixed or moving target tracking, and a synthetic aperture mode.

DEVELOPMENT

Testing began in the mid-1970s, with the radar achieving initial operational capability in 1981. Manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Co., Radar Systems Group, El Segundo, California. In addition to equipping most F/A-18s, the APG-65 replaced the AN/ APQ-120 radar in German F-4F Phantoms under the Improved Combat Effectiveness (ICE) program. AV-8Bs of the US Marine Corps and the Spanish and Italian air forces are fitted with a modified APG-65 with a smaller antenna; the first of these was delivered in the summer of 1993. Extensive updates have resulted in the APG-73.

SPECIFICATIONS

BAND :I/J
WEIGHT :450 Ibs (204 kg)
VOLUME OCCUPIED: less than 14.8 ft3 (0.42 m3)