Aircraft
AESA Radar for ‘Classic’ Hornet Fighter Makes First Flight
The APG-79(V)4 radar is being procured in an upgrade effort to ensure that the U.S. Marine Corps Hornet fighters can meet the planned "sundown" date.
The first APG-79(V)4 radar gets airborne from China Lake in a VX-31 F/A-18D Hornet. During the flight the new sensor’s seamless integration with existing avionics was demonstrated. (Photo: Raytheon Intelligence & Space)
The first APG-79(V)4 radar gets airborne from China Lake in a VX-31 F/A-18D Hornet. During the flight the new sensor’s seamless integration with existing avionics was demonstrated. (Photo: Raytheon Intelligence & Space)

Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) has announced that the first APG-79(V)4 radar system has begun flight tests. The radar features an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) antenna and incorporates gallium nitride (GaN) in its transmit/receive modules, the first airborne fire control radar to employ this technology. The prototype radar, which was delivered last year, first took to the air at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, in a Marine Corps F/A-18D operated by VX-31 “Dust Devils”, a joint Navy/Marines trials squadron.


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