Northrop Grumman's Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload Embarks On Performance Phase Of Flight Test Program

MILTECH

The ASIP sensor is scheduled to complete flight test on the U-2 in the first quarter of 2008 with operational fielding expected in late 2008.

by Staff Writers
Palmdale CA (SPX) May 17, 2007
Northrop Grumman Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload (ASIP), a next generation signals intelligence sensor for the U.S. Air Force, has successfully completed the engineering checkout and calibration testing phase of the ASIP U-2 flight test program and has successfully embarked on the performance testing phase.

ASIP delivers enhanced signals intelligence capabilities to the warfighter. It detects, identifies and locates radar and other types of electronic and modern communication signals.

During the current performance test phase of the flight test program, the ASIP system is being tested using warfighter operational scenarios with control and data exploitation from contractor-owned ground station test facilities designed to simulate the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System.

The ASIP sensor is scheduled to complete flight test on the U-2 in the first quarter of 2008 with operational fielding expected in late 2008. The Global Hawk variant of the ASIP sensor is expected to complete flight testing in 2008 and begin production in 2009 with operational fielding in 2012.

Since inception of the ASIP program, the Northrop Grumman team has worked closely with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to ensure successful integration of the sensor with the ground station. For the past year, ground testing from the Northrop Grumman ASIP integration laboratory to equivalent labs at both Raytheon and Lockheed Martin has been conducted to identify and correct sensor/ground station interface issues.

"Our success today in the first performance test flight is a validation that the ASIP sensor will be ready for operational deployment in late 2008 when the flight test program is complete," said Imad Bitar, vice president of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems sector's Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory business unit.

ASIP is a system-of-systems development program involving multiple Air Force and industry organizations. The ASIP industry team includes Northrop Grumman as prime contractor for the development of the ASIP sensor and the Global Hawk platform; Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, Md., which provides the U-2 aircraft and ground station interface; L-3 Communications, New York, which provides the data link; and Raytheon Company, Waltham, Mass., which provides sensor and ground station interface.

Email This Article

MILTECH

Proposed Cuts Endanger Future Combat System Warns Pentagon

Washington (AFNS) May 16, 2007
Proposed cuts to the Army's Future Combat Systems endanger a program that would improve military capabilities today and in the future, said Army Lt. Gen. Stephen M. Speakes, the service's director of force development and deputy chief of staff. News reports say Congress proposes $876 million worth of cuts for the Future Combat Systems in the fiscal 2008 budget request. The total Future Combat System request for fiscal 2008 is $3.7 billion.

SUPERPOWERS EU Adopts Common Defence Industry Strategy Warming In Asia And Africa Threatens US Key Arms Control Treaty On Verge Of Collapse Says Russian General Revising The CFE Treaties To Counter ABM Doctrinal Changes	NUKEWARS Hopes Rise For North Korea Nuclear Deal North Korea Says Work To Transfer Bank Funds Under Way Iran Claims To Be Making Steady Progress In Enriching Uranium Ahmadinejad Warns US Against Military Action
MISSILE NEWS Latest Chinese Missile To Target US Carriers Lockheed Martin-Built Trident II D5 Successfully Launched In Atlantic Two-Missile US Navy Test Raytheon And Aerojet Test New Propulsion System For Air-Launched Missile Defense System North Korea Unveiled New Ballistic Missile	MISSILE DEFENSE Czech Battle To Convince Hostile Public Over US Missile Shield Japan Wants Higher-Altitude BMD Research With US Missile Defense Funding Reaches Compromise Point Experts Inspect Czech Radar Site As Poland Holds ABM Talks With US
AEROSPACE Australia Fears Jet Flight Guilt Could Hit Tourism Nondestructive Testing Keeps Bagram Aircraft Flying New FAA Oceanic Air Traffic System Designed By Lockheed Martin Fully Operational NASA Seeks New Research Proposals	UAV NEWS New Generation Of UAVs Could Borrow A Few Secrets From Bats Elbit Systems Introduces Silver Marlin Unmanned Surface Vehicle Northrop Grumman Demos Low-Cost Autonomous Control System For Recon Planes Northrop Grumman Communicates Over-the-Horizon Using Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
IRAQ WARS Origins Of Shock And Awe An Iraqi Compromise Plan Bush Picks New General To Act As War Czar Of Iraq And Afghan Campaigns Secrets Of The Surge	MILTECH Northrop Grumman's Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload Embarks On Performance Phase Of Flight Test Program Proposed Cuts Endanger Future Combat System Warns Pentagon Brave New War New Concept Gets Latest Technologies To Warfighters Quickly

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement