The AN/APG-77 is a multifunction low probability of intercept radar installed on the F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft. The radar was designed and initially built by Westinghouse and Texas Instruments, and production continued with their respective successors Northrop Grumman and Raytheon after acquisition.
Country of origin | United States |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Westinghouse (acquired by Northrop Grumman), Texas Instruments (acquired by Raytheon) |
Type | Solid-state active electronically scanned array (AESA) |
Azimuth | 120° |
Power | 20 kW peak[1] |
![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/AN-APG-77%2C_AESA%2C_Active_Electronically_Scanned_Array%2C_Northrop_Grumman%2C_2001_-_National_Electronics_Museum_-_DSC00388.jpg/220px-AN-APG-77%2C_AESA%2C_Active_Electronically_Scanned_Array%2C_Northrop_Grumman%2C_2001_-_National_Electronics_Museum_-_DSC00388.jpg)
It is a solid-state, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Composed of 1,956 transmit/receive modules (TRM), each about the size of a gum stick, it can perform a near-instantaneous beam steering (in the order of tens of nanoseconds).[2]
The APG-77 was highly appreciated by pilots transitioning from F-15s upon the F-22's introduction in 2005, providing a massive boost in situational awareness. The APG-77 has an incredibly fast scan time across its 120 degree field of view and could detect aircraft from over 320 mi (515 km) away. The AN/APG-77 system itself exhibits a very low radar cross-section, supporting the F-22's stealthy design.[3] The upgraded APG-77(V)1 may have an even greater range. Much of the technology developed for the APG-77 was used in the AN/APG-81 radar for the F-35 Lightning II, and in turn the technology from the APG-81 was applied to the upgraded APG-77(V)1.
The APG-77(V)1 was installed on F-22 Raptors from Lot 5 and on.[4] This provided improved air-to-air performance, full air-to-ground functionality (high-resolution synthetic aperture radar mapping, ground moving target indication and track (GMTI/GMTT), automatic cueing and recognition, combat identification, and many other advanced features).[5][4][6]
References
edit- ^ "Forecast International: Intelligence Center".
- ^ "Future DoD Airborne High-Frequency Radar Needs/Resources" (PDF). Department of Defense. April 2001. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-20.
- ^ Hoffman, Carl (November 2005). "The Raptor Arrives". Air and Space Magazine. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
- ^ a b "F-22 Raptor To Get Upgraded Radar". Defense Update. 2 April 2007. Archived from the original on 2016-11-22. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "APG-77(V)".
- ^ "Northrop Successfully Completes F-22 Radar Flight-Test Certification". Archived from the original on 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
External links
edit- AN/APG-77 radar technology explained
- f22fighter.com: AN/APG-77 Archived 2007-06-07 at the Wayback Machine