Raytheon replaces Northrop Grumman for future F-35 sensor system: better for less?

(To Matteo Acciaccarelli)
16/06/18

Lockheed Marin chose Raytheon to supply the new DAS (Distributed Aperture System) which will equip the F-35 multirole fighters from 2023. The DAS, currently produced by Northrop Grumman, consists of 6 sensors that give the fighter pilot a 360 ° view: the system processes the images in real time, transforming them into a video which is transmitted to the pilot's helmet which is made able to see where the human eye could not, even in adverse weather conditions or at night.

The choice made by Northrop Grumman not to continue producing the DAS, known under the name of AN / AAQ-37, would be linked to the fact that, as reported Defense News, development was no longer considered an economically attractive opportunity. According to what has been reported by Lockheed Martin, the switch to Raytheon, which will take place from the production of lot 15 (scheduled for 2023), will allow a saving of about 3 billion dollars on the life of the DAS program. An operation, therefore, also linked to a reduction in the high costs of the F-35 program, also considered high by the US Department of Defense which has repeatedly asked Lockheed Martin to reduce the costs of operating the fighter.

Lower outlay must not lead to a loss of performance. The solution found should make it possible to maintain the fundamental capabilities given by the DAS, providing 5 times greater reliability than the previous equipment, simultaneously lowering production and maintenance costs, estimated at around 50% less.

The technology in question makes it possible to identify and track all types of threats, such as surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles. In addition to the "defensive" aspect, the DAS also provides a contribution in the attack phase, allowing to identify and illuminate terrestrial and non-terrestrial targets. Thanks to the DAS, the pilots of the F-35 will be able, when a possible air threat is located, to launch missiles avoiding a dogfight that could be fatal for the F-35, having not been designed for this. A tool, therefore, essential for a multi-role fighter born and developed, despite the many difficulties encountered and a lot of skepticism, to be revolutionary in the field of military aviation.