SAN DIEGO, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Northrop
Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has completed more than 25 flight
tests of the U.S. Navy Triton unmanned aircraft system's (UAS)
primary maritime surveillance sensor in preparation for its
installation on the aircraft.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121024/LA98563LOGO)
The company is conducting risk-reduction tests of the
Multi-Function Active Sensor (MFAS) using a Gulfstream II surrogate
aircraft off the California coast.
The radar will provide the Triton UAS with a 360-degree view of
ocean and coastal regions.
"Surrogate flights have allowed us to mature the MFAS radar's
capabilities and merge the data with information received from
other sensors and equipment that will also be used on Triton," said
Mike Mackey, Triton UAS program
director with Northrop Grumman. "By gathering this information in
real and simulated environments, we can refine how an operator sees
data while tasking the system in flight."
The MFAS, an active, electronically and mechanically scanned
array radar, is designed for maritime surveillance missions. It
uses a combination of electronic scanning with a mechanical
rotation, allowing the radar to spotlight a geographic area of
interest for longer periods – increasing detection capabilities for
smaller targets, particularly in sea clutter.
Triton's full sensor suite will allow areas up to 2,000 nautical
miles to be monitored at a time.
As prime contractor for the Navy on the Triton UAS program,
Northrop Grumman is developing the system's capabilities through
2016. The Navy's program calls for 68 aircraft to be built.
Mackey said that recent successes have demonstrated how Triton
will use the MFAS radar to spot and classify the ships it picks up.
The MFAS radar data along with other onboard information will be
provided to mission operators on the ground and directly to
maritime forces.
"These development tests will demonstrate the range, resolution
and speed at which MFAS can detect different targets. We will be
well prepared to install MFAS on Triton once surrogate flight tests
conclude," said Mackey.
On May 22, the Triton UAS flew for
the first time from Northrop Grumman's manufacturing center in
Palmdale, Calif.
The Triton UAS will replace the Navy's aging patrol aircraft and
is intended to work with the new P-8 Poseidon manned surveillance
aircraft.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing
innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems,
cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and
commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
0913-293
SOURCE Northrop Grumman Corporation