NEW YORK, April 28 (UPI) -- Companies from the United States and Denmark are working together on an updated weapons rack for the F-16 jet.
New York-based EDO Corp. and Denmark's Terma A/S aim to produce ESTER, the Enhanced Smart Triple Ejector Rack, which will improve the F-16's capability to carry and drop updated smart weapons.
"Both companies have extensive experience with high-performance military aircraft," said EDO CEO James Smith. "We are combining our complementary capabilities and market strengths to address a substantial need among the worldwide F-16 community."
The workhorse F-16 has been in service for about 25 years and is used by the air forces of two dozen countries. The ESTER will keep the venerable Fighting Falcon in the delivery mix for the latest guided munitions and extend the plane's life as a viable purchase option for international customers.
The project is basically an upgrade of the existing TER-9 rack, which fits on the under-wing pylon and carried a trio of current-design bombs.
As envisioned, ESTER will allow F-16 pilots to carry and individually deploy the modern 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions and the EGBU-12 Paveway. Both operate on the standard military 1760 interface -- the means by which targeting data is fed into the weapon.
The Royal Danish Air Force has given the green light to testing of the ESTER as part of its Mid-Life Update process for the F-16. Engineers expect to have the new system ready for flight testing in the fall.
