ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 20 (UPI) -- The 400th Longbow fire control radar has been delivered to the U.S. Army by Longbow LLC, a Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman company.
"As operational missions change, the Longbow FCR continues to meet the needs of the warfighter," said Jerry Garman, Longbow LLC president and director of Longbow programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "High system reliability and low-cost, two-level maintenance ensures the fire control solution is readily available to the Apache (attack helicopter) aviator."
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command awarded the initial Longbow FCR production contract in 1995. Work is performed at Lockheed Martin facilities in Florida and Northrop Grumman facilities in Maryland.
Delivery of an additional 25 systems currently contracted will be complete in 2012.
For more than a decade, the Longbow FCR has provided Apache aircrews with target detection, location, classification and prioritization. In all weather over multiple terrains and through any battlefield obscurant, the radar allows automatic and rapid multi-target engagement.
The Longbow FCR integrates with the Longbow Hellfire missile, enhancing the Apache's lethality fourfold.
