Northrop Grumman Corporation has adopted Lean-Agile methodologies in the development and integration of the active electronically scanned array (AESA) AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar software for the F-16 Viper fighter aircraft. The transition to Lean-Agile was achieved in partnership with the U.S. Air Force development teams at Hill Air Force Base, Eglin Air Force Base and Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center.
The AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) features all-weather, high-resolution synthetic aperture radar mapping to present the pilot with a large surface image for more precise target identification and strike capabilities compared to legacy systems. Its design incorporates proven hardware and advanced operating modes from Northrop Grumman’s fifth-generation F-35 AN/APG-81 and F-22 AN/APG-77 AESA radars. The high degree of commonality, shared manufacturing processes and infrastructure drives efficiencies and affordability improvements across all of Northrop Grumman’s AESA radar programs.
“With this collaborative relationship, we are now able to deliver software updates to be tested on the F-16 in weeks instead of the months it would have taken using the traditional waterfall method,” said Mark Rossi, director, SABR programs, Northrop Grumman. “Agile software development allows us to rapidly and affordably deliver capabilities to our customers – keeping F-16 operators ahead of their adversaries for decades to come.”
The Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 SABR is a full-performance fire control radar for the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and other aircraft. In a 2013 competition, Lockheed Martin selected SABR as the AESA radar for the F-16 modernization and update programs of the United States Air Force and Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force. The U.S. Air Force has achieved initial readiness requirements for SABR to meet a U.S. Northern Command Joint Emergent Operational Need (JEON) for homeland defense, and expects to formally declare full operational capability (FOC) after JEON fielding has completed in late 2021.
