Lockheed Martin has received a low-rate initial production contract valued at $171.8 million from Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Bethpage, NY, for four AN/APY-9 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) radar systems and spare parts. The radar systems will be integrated into the U.S. Navy's new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.

"The APY-9 radar will provide unprecedented capability to the U.S. Navy and allied forces operating in the littorals to detect and track airborne and cruise missile threats," said Carl Bannar, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Radar Systems business, headquartered in Syracuse, NY. "This radar represents a two-generation leap in AEW capability."

Designed and developed by Lockheed Martin, the AN/APY-9 radar features both a solid-state transmitter with higher power than its predecessor for extended range, as well as digital receivers to increase sensitivity.

The UHF radar can "see" smaller targets - and more of them - at a greater range, particularly in coastal regions and over land.

Its electronically scanned array provides critically important, continuous 360-degree coverage. As a new capability, flight operators also can now focus the radar on select areas of interest.

Two engineering-development models and four pre-production radar systems are currently in flight and qualification testing.

Over the last several months, the Navy/Industry integrated test team has flown more than 230 radar flights, performing multiple hours of over-water, near-land and over-land radar operations. Mission system and radar-related testing are currently ahead of schedule.

"We are pleased with the radar's detection performance," said Dr. Doug Reep, Lockheed Martin's program management director for AEW Radar.

"Software updates are being released as scheduled and, with each release, the radar has demonstrated improved stability and performance during flight tests.

We are confident we will meet the challenges of the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation scheduled to begin at the first quarter fiscal year 2012."

Lockheed Martin will produce AN/APY-9 radars to equip all 75 planned U.S. Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Lockheed Martin has produced several generations of AEW radars for the aircraft over four decades. Lockheed Martin's AN/APS-145 airborne radar is currently aboard in-service E-2C Hawkeyes and Hawkeye 2000 aircraft.