AESA Radar
Major progress in radar technology development is making unprecedented contributions to aerospace platforms and national defense capability. Over the last decade, the creation of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars by Northrop Grumman Corporation and other providers has enabled remarkable advances in fire control systems for fighter aircraft like the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, the joint services’ F-35 Lightning II, and the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet—and also in surveillance systems both for airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms like the Royal Australian Air Force’s Wedgetail aircraft and for air-to-ground surveillance platforms like the Global Hawk and E-10 (which are being supported through the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program—MP-RTIP).