Date posted: 02/15/2006*

Recent reports from the U.K. reveal that the flight test program for the U.K. Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) program is progressing well in both the U.S. and the U.K. As of December 2005, aircraft #1 (based in Greenville, Texas) is reported to be well into its series of check flights, while in the U.K., aircraft #2 has completed its first phase of flight testing. According to the test team, the DMR (Dual Mode Radar) in aircraft #1 is already producing good quality imagery on only its second operational check flight.

Successful system connectivity was demonstrated on the first attempt to connect virtual end-to-end data flow from the aircraft to the ground station in near real time. Hand in hand with the radar and system testing regime, software release-checking continues with additional image-manipulation features enabled such as “pan” and “zoom” controls.

According to Justin Monger, ASTOR program director, “We are well into the flight test program and making very good progress, especially regarding the radar and its imaging quality. The ASTOR integration and test program is proving out the revolutionary capabilities of this system and securing its role in network-enabled coalition operations — from SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and GMTI (Ground Moving Target Indicator), connectivity with air to ground, and interoperability with systems like Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.”

Separate from aircraft testing of the Sentinel Mk 1, ground segment elements have now completed environmental testing and are in the midst of speed and mobility tests in the U.K.

“We exceeded our expectations for ASTOR in 2005 and finished the year on a high with all segments deep into their test schedules. 2006 will see the culmination of all this hard work and these images show just what a superb system it will be,” said Raytheon Systems Limited President and Managing Director, Jack Cronin. 

When it enters service, the Ministry of Defence’s ASTOR system will be the most advanced of its type in the world. The complete system will include five Sentinel R Mk I aircraft, each equipped with dual-mode (SAR and Moving Target Indicator) radar and operator workstations, where the mission management and imagery can be exploited and then transmitted to the various brigade and divisional/joint-level ASTOR ground stations by datalink. The system operates in near real time to give battlefield commanders rapid access to highly accurate information about what is happening in their area of interest.

*The content on this page is classified as historical content. See this important information regarding such content.