UAE, India To Get LONGBOW Fire Control Radar For Apache Helos

The U.S. Army recently awarded LONGBOW Limited Liability Company (LBL), a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corporation, four Foreign Military Sales contracts to provide the AH-64E Apache helicopter AN/APG-78 LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) to Morocco, Netherlands, UAE and India Army.

These contracts, worth $165 million combined, are a direct result of the five-year production requirements contract the U.S. Department of Defense awarded to LBL in 2016.

When coupled with the Apache’s system of sensors approach, LONGBOW FCR gives aircrews the capability to scan large areas at long ranges to identify threats and targets for prosecution with a low probability of being detected. If a target is identified, the data can be handed off to a missile and launch system, or if a target needs further identification and classification, the data is handed off to the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight (M-TADS) system for increased visual identification.

LBL is now providing increased FCR capabilities with the Apache AH-64E Version 6 helicopter. Version 6 FCR software enhancements provide new operational modes and capabilities, including maritime, single target track, and 360-degree surveillance mode, as well as extended detection range against land, air and sea targets.