SPECIAL MISSION AIRCRAFT An example of IAI Elta Systems’ ELM-2022ML, a lightweight X-band multimode airborne maritime surveillance radar. (Photo: IAI Elta Systems) MISSION CONTROL Previously a niche sector, the adaptation of aircraft for special missions is now seen Might be a deadly threat. by OEMs as ripe with possibility, with opportunities across the low-end to high-end spectrum. By Beth Stevenson Ensure it’s detected. Rockwell Collins’ high probability of intercept (HPOI) solutions HPOI SOLUTIONS pecial mission operations are for these roles in an attempt to further shift is being made from the original provide spectral situational awareness and instantaneous threat trending as militaries realise the reduce costs for the operators. airliner-sized E-8C, with two of the three > Antennae, tuners and receivers S benefits of operating a low-cost contenders for the new programme detection when it matters most. Our IFMR-6070 instantaneous > Signal analysis and displays and readily available – or in some cases Replacement programme selecting business-jet-based radar systems. frequency measurement receiver, when combined with the PRISM- already acquired – aircraft carrying a One realisation of this has been the USAF’s A Northrop team is offering a > Integrated ELINT and ESM systems tailored sensor suite. Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint Surveillance reconfigured Gulfstream G550 and a 6090 spectral monitor, provides you with a higher sensitivity sweep While the mission itself can vary from Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) Recap Lockheed Martin team a modified for the best solution to finding unknown signals fast. basic ISR to full-scale anti-submarine effort, which is seeking a replacement for Bombardier Global 6000. The only airliner warfare (ASW), the commonality from the Boeing 707-300-based system that being offered is from Boeing, which is Visit us at DSEI, stand S2-191. integrating these capabilities onto an entered service in 1991. understandably offering its own aircraft in already-developed aircraft is apparent. In The mission of the ground surveillance/ the form of the 737. parallel, there is a clear move towards battle management aircraft remains largely While reconfiguring an airliner could still smaller platforms and sensors being used the same in the Recap effort, although a appeal for special mission aircraft (SMA) rockwellcollins.com/ewsigint © 2017 Rockwell Collins. All rights reserved. 14 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 VOLUME 9 NUMBER 5 WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM DB-05-17_p14-22_Special_Mission_Aircraft.indd 14 8/18/2017 2:19:39 PM RC_EW ad_Shephard Dig Battlespace_205x273_Sept2017.indd.indd 1 7/19/17 7:41 AM SPECIAL MISSION AIRCRAFT An ATR 72MP MPA, for which the Italian Navy is the launch customer. The service will eventually receive four in total. (Photo: Leonardo) development – the international supply chain ‘The AEW market is quite steady, but it is Izhakian highlighted the success of the and the support these programmes have tend a relatively small market,’ Avishai Izhakian, Boeing P-8 Poseidon programme as to be robust – there is a clear move towards deputy general manager for marketing, evidence of this, although he highlighted integrating these capabilities onto even business development and sales at IAI’s Elta that the high-end capability of this aircraft smaller platforms with lower operating costs division, added. He said that a typical AEW is not necessarily what all customers need. and a smaller logistical footprint. programme will only cover an acquisition of ‘You also see a lot of contracts for the ‘Aircraft that are bigger than required some three to four aircraft, but this is likely low-end, turboprop solutions,’ he said, mean lower performance and higher to exceed a $1 billion price tag. noting that there are four to five different operating costs,’ Troy Miller, regional VP ‘However, if you look at the overall market, levels of MPA markets on the spectrum. for military and special missions sales at you only see a few contracts signed every year ‘Historically our main focus was the high- Gulfstream, told DB. in this area and the number of competitors is end, high-performance solutions, but we Regarding JSTARS Recap, Miller said relatively limited,’ he added. ‘There are four have expanded our presence in the market that an ability to reach high altitudes is to five competitors today in the market and over the last few years, offering the beneficial for ground surveillance missions there are only a few contracts per year, but [Bombardier] Q400 – which is a mid-tier as the range at which the sensors can see each contract is on a large scale.’ solution for MPA – and even the Beechcraft is optimised. He added that ISR missions He said that the principle developed King Air-based solution we are offering to are now requiring multiple capabilities on a for the CAEW system – ‘a very high- some of our customers,’ he said. single platform: ‘Because of the versatility performance solution on a business jet’ – In general, the King Air system primarily and available payload, programmes are is being rolled into other special mission serves the low- to mid-tier ISR markets, he under development that will have radar areas, most notably air-to-ground added, although the company is open- capability as well as SIGINT, COMINT and surveillance. ‘The fastest growing solution minded given its position as both a prime EO/IR capabilities. is air-to-ground. We released a solution contractor and third-party payload provider. ‘There is also a growing interest in about three years ago designated ELI-3150 ‘We are in a unique position in the maritime surveillance and several nations MARS2, which is a solution for the high end market because we have a wide range are interested in dual-role aircraft that of the market.’ of payloads in-house,’ he said. ‘Because can provide both executive airlift and He pointed out that 20 years ago the only we are providing both the [SMA] to the aeromedical evacuation capabilities.’ offering in this category was the JSTARS market as well as the payloads, we One such system that uses a baseline radar, which was not exported, so remained provide the package.’ Gulfstream G550 is IAI’s Conformal exclusive to the US. ‘Today, you see this sort Izhakian added that in addition to an Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) aircraft. of programme in several countries. Usually array of radars that can be offered by IAI, it ‘A number of different configurations are they are classified, so I cannot go into the can also offer line-of-sight communications successfully supporting worldwide details, but clearly for us the air-to-ground systems and self-protection suites for operations, but among them, our [CAEW] market is one of the main emerging SMA, as well as SATCOM in both Ka- and configuration is the most widely deployed,’ markets,’ he said. Ku-band. Miller explained. ‘In the SIGINT area, we have a relatively The first two of an order for four were Surging need low-weight and high-performance solution, delivered to the Italian Air Force in 2016, Another key special mission area is for which can be installed on [SMA] as well as with the final two deliveries due in 2017, maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), for which smaller platforms like UAVs,’ he added. making Rome the third operator of the type there has been a surge in requirements ‘Our solutions are adequate for the small after the Israeli Air Force and Republic of due to an increase in piracy and the need [SMA] – the Beechcraft type – to the Singapore Air Force. to protect commercial shipping routes. medium level like the [Airbus] C295, 16 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 VOLUME 9 NUMBER 5 WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM DB-05-17_p14-22_Special_Mission_Aircraft.indd 16 8/18/2017 2:19:41 PM SPECIAL MISSION AIRCRAFT Q400 and other [Leonardo] ATR solutions, ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE up to the high-level solution of business jets, like the Gulfstream G550 or the [Bombardier] Global [family], or even in some cases the Boeing 737.’ The RAF’s Raytheon Sentinel R1, meanwhile, is a Bombardier Global Express- ARE YOU READY? derived SMA integrated with the Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR). ‘The aircraft is a [high-altitude] stand-off platform and what it provides is wide-area surveillance capability overlaid with ground moving target indicator [GMTI],’ Roland Howell, Raytheon’s UK head of airborne solutions, told DB. ‘Because of the nature of the platform – high flight on a business jet – and the size of the antenna, it is pretty much unique in terms of the wide-area surveillance benefit that it can provide.’ Howell claimed that the radar can cover Bird Aerosystems offers its Airborne Surveillance, Intelligence and Observation (ASIO) system, ‘huge areas’ of land, carrying out wide-area which configures a range of aircraft into special mission platforms. (Photo: Bird Aerosystems) surveillance using the synthetic aperture mode of the radar, which – combined with is some work to do in terms of being able to While both ASTOR and Sentinel are the GMTI element that can track smaller source some of those elements of the radar exclusive to the UK, the radar is part of a targets – allows operators to build a live at a card or line replaceable unit (LRU) family of similar systems that Raytheon picture of what is going on below. The level, and there is some obsolescence could offer to international customers, for radar processing is done on board and the redesign work going on now to effectively which it is eyeing opportunities. ‘We’re analysis can either be done on- or off- redesign in some areas and reproduce in working in the Middle East and North Africa board, he added. other areas to maintain the spares and region, where there are several opportunities repairs capability in order to maintain the which are at different stages of maturity, but Obsolescence issues aircraft out to 2021.’ there is definitely a demand in those regions A five-strong fleet was delivered by 2009, He said that this work is ongoing and will for ISR capability,’ Howell noted.