US Special Operations Command has sought market information for a radar upgrade for AC-130J gunships and MC-130J II special operations transport/tanker aircraft.
An Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar is being sought to replace the AN/APG-241 radar.
AESA radars have advantages over their mechanically scanned counterparts in range, scanning speed, simultaneous execution of multiple modes, and overall fidelity.
Moreover, they have better counter-jamming capability.
AESA Radar’s Expected Features
The USSOCOM-sought radar is expected to engage targets in all weather over greater ranges without external support and track moving ground targets.
Synthetic aperture radar imaging and ground-moving target indicator modes can offer these capabilities.
For targeting accuracy, it should have CAT 1 targeting data — the highest level of targeting accuracy in the US military lexicon.
The radar upgrade follows other sensor upgrades for the C-130 fleet, such as equipping the aircraft with a Northrop Grumman ALQ-251 radio frequency countermeasure system for enhanced survivability in “contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum environments.”
