Fire Control Radar Hardware to Support US Army and Three International Customers
Longbow LLC, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, announced at Farnborough on 18 July contracts totalling $170.5 million (€147 million) for LONGBOW fire control radar (FCR) hardware for AH-64E APACHE attack helicopters for the US Army and three international customers: Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UK.
The contracts include LONGBOW FCR Mast Mounted Assemblies (MMA), Radar Electronics Units (REU) and spares. Production will extend through April 2021 at Lockheed Martin’s Orlando and Ocala, FL facilities and at Northrop Grumman’s Baltimore, MD facility.
The MMA and REU are key components of the LONGBOW FCR. The system automatically searches, detects, locates, classifies and prioritises multiple moving or stationary targets on land or in the air, in clear or adverse weather, and in obscured battlefields – giving commanders the precision engagement capabilities necessary to win the battle.
“We remain focused on delivering significant upgrades and products as quickly and efficiently as possible [….] This contract allows us to supply the US Army fleet with REUs, which is the foundation for future enhancements like extended range, maritime mode and unmanned aerial systems detection,” explained Longbow President, Jim Messina.
“The LONGBOW FCR REU continues to provide outstanding capabilities to our customers [….] The REU provides growth capabilities to LONGBOW FCR while reducing space, weight and power, along with maintenance cost,” added Longbow Vice President Susan Bruce.