Selex Galileo to Protect Malaysia's Hawk Fleet

22 Oktober 2010

RMAF's Hawk 108 (photo : Selex Galileo)

Selex Galileo expects to receive a contract to equip the Royal Malaysian Air Force's BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft with a new radar warning receiver (RWR) system.

Named Seer, the self-protection equipment has been designed as a drop-in replacement for BAE's Sky Guardian 200 RWR system, previously installed on platforms including the Hawk.

Selex supported recent flight trials of the new equipment with a Malaysian Hawk. "The RWR met all of the jointly agreed objectives, with Seer being able to detect radars at ranges that were an order of magnitude greater than those achieved by older-generation systems," it says.

Malaysia operates 14 single-seat Hawk 208s and six Hawk 108 trainers delivered between 1994 and 1995, as listed in Flightglobal's MiliCAS database.

Comprising four wide band spiral antennas, two digital detectors, a signal processor and a cockpit display, Seer is "capable of identifying and prioritising complex RF signals in a hostile threat environment", Selex says.

"There are customers out there who are worried about radar threats," says Steve Roberts, Selex Galileo's vice-president capability for electronic warfare systems. "We are getting a lot of interest from those countries."

Latin America and the Middle East are considered to be other potential markets for the new equipment.

Roberts says the company will soon perform a similar flight trial with Seer using an Aero Vodochody L-159 - a type in use with the Czech air force. The equipment is also suitable as an upgrade for the Northrop F-5 fighter, or for use with new-build aircraft and helicopters, he says. A compact version is also to be offered to equip unmanned air vehicles.

Selex has also developed a new electronic support measures system dubbed Sage to equip platforms ranging in size from tactical UAVs to large transport and surveillance aircraft. The company's first proposed installation would give a Lockheed Martin C-130 tactical transport a signals analysis and geo-location function.

The company is targeting applications such as border surveillance and exclusive economic zone monitoring for Sage, and has already held discussions with its Finmeccanica sister companies about its potential inclusion in future maritime patrol aircraft offerings.

(Flight International)