천리안 (千里眼) 의 능력을 보유한 호주 공군 AEW&C, E-737 Wedgetail...

 

지난 5월말 호주 유력 일간지 The Australian 의 특별판에 보도된 호주 공군 공중조기경보통제기 (AEW&C), E-737 Wedgetail 관련

내용을 소개합니다. 동 기사를 작성한 Julian Kerr 는 Jane's Weekley 호주 통신원 경력을 가지고 있습니다.

 

기사 제목을 번역하자면, [천리안 (千里眼) 의 능력을 가진 Wedgetail] 이라고 할 수 있습니다. 그동안 Wedgetail 의 문제점은 여러

언론을 통해 알려져 있었습니다만, 동 기사에서도 ESM 장비에 대한 문제점 언급과 함께, 기존 성능요구 조건에서 2% 부족하지만,

2012년말 까지는 FOC (Full Operational Capability) 를 획득할 것이라 합니다.

 

한편 Northrop Grumman 의 협력하에 호주 CEA Technologies 社의 해상감시레이더 CEAFAR 에 대한 개발은 계속 진행할 계획

이며, 우리 대한민국과 터키에 도입될 예정인 AEW&C, 즉 Peace Eye 와 Peace Eagle 은 앞서 Wedgetail 에서 발생된 문제점들을

해결한 상태로 전달될 것이라는 내용도 기사 마지막 부분에 언급되어 있어, 한편으론 안심이 되는 대목이기도 합니다.

 

앞서 피스아이 4호기의 초도비행 소식을 전한 바 있습니다만, Boeing 이 주장하는 것 처럼 정확히 어느 부분이, 어떤 형태로 보완이

이루어졌는지 궁금합니다. 다만, 우리 대한민국이 도입하게 될 피스아이는 순조롭게 제작되어 적기(適期)에 도입 되었으면 합니다.

 

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Wedgetail has far-sighted capabilities

The Australian Special Report, 05/29/2010

Author : Julian Kerr

Copyright 2010 News Ltd. All Rights Reserved

 

IT'S been a long and costly road and there's still some distance to travel, but the first two of the six Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft that will revolutionise Australia's air combat capabilities have now been accepted by the RAAF. When fully operational, the Northrop Grumman MESA (multi-role electronically scanned array) radar aboard the Boeing 737-700-based Wedgetails will provide 360-degree coverage out to more than 400 km.

 

This will allow a single Wedgetail to cover four million square miles in surveillance over a 10-hour mission, its primary task being to detect air threats, including cruise missiles, and co-ordinate the air battle.

 

A “track while scan” function will enable it to follow up to 3000 air and sea targets simultaneously, while continually searching for other contacts.

 

Combined with the primary radar is an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system with a range of more than 550 km.

 

Unlike the Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C system, the MESA radar does not employ a moveable antenna to search for targets.

 

Instead, its electronically scanned array allows operators to electronically focus on a particular area, giving much greater power, fidelity, or revisit rates 一 vital in a rapidly-changing combat environment.

 

Bringing this impressive capability up to contracted performance and integrating it with other aircraft systems has been a major cause of the $3.9 billion project falling four years behind schedule and figuring prominently on the Government's list of so-called projects of concern.

 

After an independent review by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT's) Lincoln Laboratory confirmed the stability and potential of the MESA technology, the decision was taken to press ahead with aircraft delivery while continuing to work on performance shortfalls.

 

Thus the two aircraft that received initial acceptance on May 5 have yet to be fitted with the electronic support measures (ESM) being developed by BAE Systems Australia. These enable enemy radars and communications to be identified, located and tracked. Close to full performance from the MESA system is not anticipated until late in 2011.

 

However, their acceptance means the RAAF can begin formal training on the aircraft and building operational capability.

 

The third aircraft will be handed over in June, the fourth in September, and the fifth 一 the first to have its ESM systems fully mission-capable 一 will be delivered in the final quarter of this year.

 

The sixth Wedgetail will be handed over before April 2011 by which time all will have received the full ESM configuration.

 

Full operational capability for the fleet is expected at the end of 2012.

 

With the Wedgetail capability intended to be the centrepiece of Australia's new generation of air defence systems, the program glitches have adversely affected RAAF networking plans.

 

But the delays have also proved costly for the companies involved. Prime contractor Boeing is thought to have spent about $1.9 billion of its own funds over and above the fixed price contract, with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems expending smaller amounts.

 

Separately, late last year Boeing agreed to pay the Commonwealth about $100 million in compensation for project delay, incremental delivery, and projected performance shortfalls.

 

As part of the settlement, performance issues with the MESA radar, principally concerning the system's ability to discriminate against ground clutter, are being addressed by Boeing, Northrop Grumman and the RAAF over an undisclosed period.

 

Sources close to the program say the system is expected to reach about 98 per cent of contractual specifications by the end of 2011. Any shortfall then outstanding will be addressed during operations by specially-formulated tactics.

 

However, development will continue beyond that time with the intention of exploiting the full potential of the cutting-edge MESA technology.

 

This effort will include Canberra-based CEA Technologies, developer of the innovative CEAFAR maritime active phased array radar, in which Northrop Grumman is a minority shareholder.

 

Both the Turkish Peace Eagle and the South Korean E-X AEW&C programs are based on the same aircraft and MESA radar as the Wedgetail system. Boeing says both countries have been receiving “appropriate updates” on Wedgetail progress.

 

 

  ⓒ Australian Gov. DoD

 

  ⓒ Australian Gov. DoD