July 14, 2008 (by Asif Shamim) - Raytheon Co. announced at the Farnborough airshow the news about there latest AESA radar known as the advanced combat radar (RACR, "racer").

The new radar is aimed at squarely at the retrofit market, for the F-16, F/A-18 and for installation in new-build fighters.

RACR draws heavily on Raytheon's previous experience in building AESA (active electronically scanned antenna) radars for the F-15 Eagle (APG-63(V)2/3/4) and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (APG-79). The new radar uses technology & components from those existing programs.

Raytheon original proposed the RANGR (Raytheon advanced next-generation radar) for use with the F-16. This scalable radar has a downside, it requires its own power source and cooling system which would impact the existing airframe adding to the overall cost.

The RACR provided the same capability but its advantage is that it uses the existing power and cooling systems provisioned in the airframe making this radar more cost effective.

With the costs reduced it makes this model an attractive upgrade for air forces requiring newer radars, rather than forking out larger sums of money for new aircraft. It can be said that your giving a forth generation aircraft, fifth generation capabilities.

Additionally the RACR allows the aircraft to network in and share data over a high speed link. "The antenna becomes a node in the network. It can share data in a high-speed way, sending SAR maps in a few milliseconds. We have demonstrated a rate of 274 Mb per second. When you combine the antenna with an advanced RWR system like the ALR-69, you get a dramatic increase in capability", said Mike Henchey, Raytheon's director of strategy and business development, tactical airborne systems.

Raytheon is trying to break the hold in this market by its rival radar maker Northrop Grumman. Currently the RACR is fit checked in an F-16. In due course the company plan to fly a working example in a testbed aircraft.
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Hmmmm attractive product, maybe we can check this out for some JF-17 or J-10 Squardons.

1st i thought PAF might love to use these in their F-16AM/BM but then why would they order 60 APG-68(V9) for the F-16 retrofit with the MLU, yeah great idea but it would only serve F-16's it would be a terriable idea to arm JF-17 and J-10 with them in this case either a French AESA radar or a Chinese one.

Maybe we can order FEW of these systems for JF-17s, maybe only 2 squardons out of 20. Since they will give us an immense strike capability.

Really not a good idea thrust me on this one bro.

Hmmmm seems so. Gosh we are discussing like we have the authority to order!!

I think PAF F-16s could be upgraded with either the Raytheon RACR or Northrop SABR.

Also revealed was the Saab-2000 SIGSTAR...which might interest the armed forces.

May be we should order more wheat and rice for all poor Pakistanis instead of wasting money f16s!! People are queuing up to get atta and govt is ordering military equipment to keep military happy.

Buy wheat? LOL...your govt was talking about giving "virgin land" to solve all of India's food problems...maybe some people (like you) should stop p!ssing on the Air Force's F-16s and bloody lobby your govt officials to stop sealing off Pakistani land for foreigners! lol...buy wheat...more like 'stop stealing the people's wheat'...too bad even educated punks like you don't know the beautiful inner workings of Pakistan...what is the harri going to do...

First of all its Punks like you living in foreign country and trying buy land in Pakistan. if we continue to buy equipment then what are those deterrents are for? Do you think any country will ever attack a nuclear armed nation? the nation which wont hesitate to use its arsenal. its time to better the economy and living condition of average citizen not to show off some fighter plane once a year on a parade!

Lets not get personal guys lol...nyways...!! I really dont think we should use these systems for our chinese fighters...we are better off arming them with french..chinese or other european stuff...we cudve armed the F-16's with this one but since we have chosen not to...then why remain dependent on Uncle Sam again and again?!

Yeah and in war time we will throw that atta and rice on your face to gain victory!!

STUPID!!

Or ... maybe we can find the courage to drag those sorry s.o.b traders and growers (who're the Shareefs & Zardaris boys and who hide the stock to exploit prices) on to the streets and mutilate them but not kill them, leaving their bodies for the vultures to feast on. Your problem is not buying F-16s (which I wouldn't support anymore), rather it is the ugly face of greed, glutton and power mongering hyenas that have infested our society and is destroying our country. The my poor Pakistanis need wheat and rice, while those who you say are democractically elected, are sitting in air-conditioned expensive hotels, draining millions of our money for their luxury. My poor Pakistanis need wheat and rice, while s.o.b traitor Aitzaz and that b@$t@rd Chaudhry (both of whom have taken millions in bribes from the indian intelligence RAW to create anarchy in Pakistan) rant their slogans and do their faggot long marches, prancing around in Islamabad.

Keep the military happy? Are you okay? Are we talking about the same military whose Jawans embraced Shahada when the Americans attacked in Sarhadh, Pakistan? Are you talking about the same military which fights to defend our freedom and existance? Are you talking about the same military which would sacrifice itself for the protection of its people, the people of Pakistan? Surely you cannot be talking about the same military.

Maybe the new 18 Block52+ can get lucky and get these installed in them.

Dizasta i guess he is hungry. Dont bother replying him!!

Advice taken brother! Thankyou!

No Aesa for PAF's F-16 except Block 52s

These F-16s are just stop gap measure. Future of PAF lies with Thunders and Vanguards.

I doubt the PAF will buy the RACR AESA radar for the F-16s because th F-16 C/Ds on order are to be fitted with APG 68 V9 radars and the 60 F-16 A/Bs which are to be upgraded to MLU will have this radar in their MLU package. It could be integrated onto the JF17 or J10 but the PAF will probably go for a safe (roughly as advanced) AESA package from Europe or China for the JF17 and J10, as cheaper AESAs are on offer in the two regions. Don't forget Europe and China are safe sources of systems whilst the USA has proven its inconsistency over the years.

True.
Cheaper AESAs from China for the JF17 and J10.

if you are really patriotic then you should have joined the army. it seems you might have been rejected from issb!

At least I'm trying to buy land...hell of a lot better than letting a foreign guy steal & give it to me...a Pakistani serf would live a much better life under a foreign educated land buyer than a foreign appointed local jahil like Zardari.

If Zardari wasn't talking about giving away Pakistan's "virgin land"...!! You can cover a few months of wheat for the people...but the F-16s can stand as our weapon-systems for another 2 decades! Stop crying about the defence budget and start focusing on your govt's concessional expenditures...defence is a necessity, but trips to Dubai and London for dinner are a real waste...no one is going to fight us in London.

there are many other ways to serve the country than joining armed forces.

Absolutely true.
Main object is to serve your country in a honest and hardworking way and respect other human being.

Its none of your concern.

My dear brother, I understand your sentiments and even if I don't, I will try to understand what you're saying. It is because you're my fellow countryman and I approach my fellow Pakistanis with respect and honor. Please try and understand that there is a dire need for us to unite, rather than fight and bicker amongst ourselves. Understand that there are forces working against us, who want to destroy us. For if cannot understand this and recognize this, we will leave ourselves open to the enemy who'd inflict destruction on us.

Yes there is an acute shortage of wheat and rice in our country. However, this shortage is due not because we're not spending enough money to feed our people. Rather, there are people within, who're corrupt, who're power mongering lunatics, that are after their own interests and their greed for more money. They hide the stock in their warehouses in Karachi and Lahore and elsewhere. Creating a shortage, selling it to Afghanis, who'd in turn also supply indians.

If we're internally weak, we'll never succeed against those who seek to destroy us. You make a personal remark against me, your fellow countryman and doubt my Patriotism. I do not seek to convince anyone, how Patriotic I may be. Rather, I seek, pray, yearn and beg Allah Subhanho Wata'aalah, that HE may unite us Pakistanis, that HE may protect Pakistan, that HE may instill in us the ability to see the dark shroud of lies and deception they use against us to divide and destroy us.

I leave you with just one thought ..... today you doubt my Patriotism ..... tomorrow, if you find my bullet riddled body laying somewhere in Parachinar .... please do come and stand on it and shout .... 'this man was not a Patriot'. For I do not fight to defend Pakistan so that people can call me a Patriot, rather I fight to defend the gift that Allah Subhanaho Wata'aalah blessed us with, Pakistan. To defend the freedom which is Pakistan and raise the flag of Islam.

You can assume what you may brother ..... but I am only heart broken, that my brother would rather fight me, than stand together, shoulder to shoulder and annihilate the enemy which dare attack us on our soil.

BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO!!

HATS OFF For DIZASTA!!!!

Thank god ssg-musa is a Pakistan, other wise expect no mercy!!

Are you two lovers?

are u jealous

so you guys do three some!!

getting more jealous?

Na we both are Pakistani and Muslim brothers.......unlike you!!