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http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i= ... =MID&s=AIR
Unused in Afghanistan, Longbow Deliveries Continue
By KATE BRANNEN
Published: 16 Dec 2010 16:25
In announcing the delivery of the 400th Longbow fire control radar for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter,
the U.S. Army acknowledged, not for the first time, that commanders in Afghanistan choose not to fly with the system.
"By and large, U.S. commanders are electing to take the [fire control radar] off of their aircraft
and fly without them in that mission environment," Col. Shane Openshaw, Apache project manager, said.
"Their choice is based upon a weight tradeoff decision."
Commanders opt for fuel and ammunition rather than carrying the sophisticated radar, Openshaw said.
The mast-topped radar was developed to fight Soviet tanks.
"That's not the same mission or the same target set that they're flying and facing in Afghanistan," Openshaw said.
Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, in a joint venture, build the Longbow fire control radars for the Army.
Army Aviation and Missile Command awarded the first production contract in 1995.
Delivery of 25 more systems will be complete in 2012, according to the companies.
As the Army moves into production for the next-generation Apache Block III helicopter, it plans to introduce more range and a larger target set for the radar, he said.
It also plans on adding the ability to view UAV video feed in the helicopter's cockpit, as well as control UAV payloads and flight paths.
"The focus as we look forward is always on keeping the aircraft and its capability ready and relevant,
both to sustain the current capability but also to improve it to deal with evolving threats and targets and different environments," Openshaw said.