ANNAPOLIS, Md., Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman in Maryland said it has demonstrated a scalable S-band, active electronically scanned array multifunction radar for naval vessels.
The demonstration of CEAFAR was conducted with its Australian partner, CEA Technologies Pty Ltd.
CEAFAR is a phased array radar that is fully scalable in frequency, size and power based on the number and type of tiles in each face. The fully digital radar system incorporates advanced digital beam-forming and is user-configurable depending on operational and technical requirements, Northrop said.
CEAFAR allows each sensor element to be individually tuned and adjusted. The system is lightweight and requires relatively modest cooling and power.
"This type of scalability and tailoring is unparalleled in the radar domain and represents a true capability advantage to the warfighter at a fraction of the price of current demonstrated or fielded competitor radars," said Paul Sullivan, vice president of Operations for Northrop Grumman's Naval and Marine Systems Division.
During tests at Northrop Grumman's Undersea Systems business unit in Annapolis, Md., CEA utilized its Dual Face Demonstration unit to showcase a broad range of applications and capabilities afforded by CEAFAR to representatives from U.S., Australian and various other international armed forces.
The self-contained Dual Face Demonstration unit consists of two CEAFAR faces requiring only power and an Ethernet connection to control the system. To enhance the demonstration, the CEAFAR radar was successfully integrated with Northrop Grumman's Integrated Combat Management System and NG Con, a mobile command-and-control system. Several threat scenarios demonstrating controlled and uncontrolled air and maritime targets were used.
The Dual Face Demonstration unit was developed in support of the CEA Technologies phased array radar system recently fitted to the Australian navy ships.
