Chris Pocock has been covering the defense beat for AIN for over 30&nbsp;years. He is a British citizen and a graduate of the University of Cambridge. Chris worked in the air cargo business for ten years before becoming a full-time writer in 1983. He subsequently edited two air cargo journals before becoming AIN’s Defense Editor. He retired from that position in 2018, but still contributes to the publication. Chris has written extensively on aerial reconnaissance, including four books on the history of the U-2 spyplane. He also lectures on this and other topics related to intelligence-gathering in the Cold War.

Defense Correspondent

Chris Pocock

Leonardo has revealed two sales of its Vixen 500E AESA radar. Romania has bought one to fit on one of its IAR-99 Soim ("Swift") jet trainer/light attack aircraft as a trial. The U.S. Navy is adding one to a Fairchild C-26 Metroliner operated by its Test Pilot School.

 


The Romanian National Institute for Aerospace Research (INCAS) is funding a new technology demonstration on the third prototype IAR-99, to provide “new sensing and combat capabilities,” according to Dr. Catalin Nae, general manager. He added, “The Vixen 500E radar system will bring the capability that we consider critical with respect to the operational environment for our future trainer.” The maker of the IAR-99, Avioane Craiova, will also be involved. The company has made previous attempts to upgrade the avionics of the IAR-99, in cooperation with IAI and Elbit Systems of Israel, and offer it for export, although not with a radar.

 


Norman Bone, managing director of Leonardo’s Airborne and Space Systems division, said: “This partnership with INCAS is representative of Leonardo’s open and collaborative approach to meeting the demands of the market. We see further commercial potential outside of Romania and are looking forward to working with INCAS to address this.” Leonardo claims that the Vixen 500E AESA offers a combination of high performance with reliability and low cost of ownership.&nbsp;

 


In addition to the radar supplied for the U.S. Navy C-26, Leonardo said that it had previously sold the Vixen 500E to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It did not specify which type of DHS aircraft has been fitted.

Leonardo Reports Sales of Vixen 500E AESA Radar

Romania will fit one for trials on its indigenous IAR-99 jet. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Department of Homeland Security are also customers.

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