미 정부, 노스롭그루먼 SABR AESA 레이더 수출 승인...

 

미 노스롭그루먼社가 개발한 SABR 레이더의 수출 승인이 미 정부로부터 이루어졌다는 관련 기사입니다. 사실 SABR 의

제작사 노스롭그루먼은 그동안 미 정부의 수출 승인이 지연되는 것에 대해 우려스러운 반응을 여러번 밝힌 바 있습니다.

 

경쟁사 모델인 Raytheon RACR 와 비교시, SABR 에는 수출금지대상 민감 AESA 레이더 기술이 더 많이 적용된 것으로

미 의회가 판단을 하고 여기에 대한 수정을 요구했다는 설도 있었습니다. 이번 승인을 얻기 위해 SABR 에 적용된 일부

기술들에 대해서 미 의회와 노스롭그루먼측이 어떤 수준에서 합의를 본 것인지 정확히 알려지고 있지는 않습니다.

 

다만 이번에 승인을 받은 DSP-5 허가라는 것 자체가, 일단 수출을 위해 제작사측이 수입 당사국과 협상을 정식으로 시작

할 수 있다는 제한적 개념으로 이해한다면, 향후 완제품에 대한 수출 협상이 본격적으로 진행된다면 또다시 미 의회의

정식 수출허가 (예를 들자면, FMS 방식 같은) 가 있어야 될 것으로 보입니다.

 

참고로 앞서 소개했던 SABR 와 RACR 소개자료, 그리고 2010 Fighter Radar 자료를 링크합니다.

 

Northrop Grumman SABR  &   Raytheon RACR  &  Fighter Radars 2010

 

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  ⓒ Northrop Grumman

 

DATE:03/02/10

SOURCE:Flight International

SINGAPORE 2010: Northrop gains export licence in radar race with Raytheon

By Stephen Trimble

 

Northrop Grumman has intensified the competition with Raytheon to retrofit advanced new radars on thousands of fourth-generation fighters.

 

Northrop announced on 3 February the receipt of clearance from the US Department of State to brief multiple potential export customers on the scaleable agile beam radar (SABR), an active electronically scanned array (AESA).

 

The export clearance, officially called the DSP-5 licence, levels the playing field with Northrop's rival, the Raytheon advanced combat radar (RACR), which received a similar clearance several months ago.

 

The approval also reverses the State Department's previous stance on SABR, which had created delays that notably frustrated Northrop executives.

 

David Silvia, Northrop's manager for SABR business development, declined to identify what changes Northrop made to its licence application to obtain State's approval. Silvia said instead that more details will be revealed in four to six months after Northrop has the opportunity to brief interested customers.

 

Northrop's licence includes the authority to offer the complete SABR system, which includes the front-end antenna and back-end processor, Silvia says.

 

Northrop is now in a position to challenge Raytheon's RACR product, which is adapted from the APG-79 AESA installed aboard the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

 

Both companies are eyeing the market to convert up to 2,000 Lockheed Martin F-16s on the global market to AESA radars, as well as retrofits for F/A-18s.Northrop also described the emerging market for unmanned air systems as another potential target for the SABR system.

 

For its part, Raytheon plans to demonstrate the RACR system aboard a US Air Force F-16 in mid-2010. That schedule comes nearly a year after Northrop launched a flight demonstration for SABR on the F-16. But Raytheon says it still has the advantage.

 

"[Northrop] chose to create a prototype, and they tested that recently," a Raytheon executive says. "We will be flying production hardware."

 

In response, Northrop says that it has passed the prototype stage on SABR. Northrop also says it has demonstrated SABR's full capability, allowing the company to tailor the technology to the specific requirements of its potential customers.

 

  ⓒ Northrop Grumman