Harris Corporation, MELBOURNE: A low-cost, UHF network-capable weapon data link developed by Harris Corporation played a key role in the successful demonstration of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet's ability to engage moving land targets with Boeing's Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) during a test conducted at the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, California.
The demonstration, in which an inert weapon was delivered within two meters of the moving target, required no new radios or hardware alterations to the aircraft.
The position of the target — a radio-controlled panel-side truck — was continuously tracked by the Super Hornet's on-board sensor and target updates were provided by the aircraft's communication system to the JDAM GPS-guided weapon equipped with Harris' new network-capable weapon data link. The two-way link also demonstrated the ability of the weapon data link to transmit real-time weapon status back to the host F/A-18 aircraft during the JDAM's free fall.
In developing this new approach, Harris combined the advanced engineering skills of its Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD) with the reliable, secure communications data link afforded by the combat-proven Harris Falcon II radio from its RF Communications Division and Improved Data Modem technology from Innovative Concepts, Inc. to create data linkage that is mounted onboard the JDAM.
“JDAM is a high-profile munition, and its ability to carry out highly accurate strikes is playing a significant role in how our armed forces conduct their operations,” said Dan Pearson, president of the Department of Defense business unit of Harris GCSD. Harris also is providing Anti-Jam Global Positioning System (AJ GPS) modules to Boeing for the JDAM, which is a low-cost tail kit that converts existing free-fall bombs into highly accurate, “smart” weapons. AJ GPS technology enhances the munition's resistance to both intentional and unintentional RF interference of the GPS satellite signal.
Harris GCSD conducts advanced research studies, develops prototypes, and produces and supports state-of-the-art, assured communications solutions and information systems that solve the mission-critical challenges of its military and government customers, while serving as the technology base for the company's diverse commercial businesses. Harris Corporation is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. With headquarters in Melbourne, Florida, the company has annual sales of over $3 billion and employs 12,600 men and women, including 5,500 engineers and scientists. The company's four operating divisions serve markets for government communications, tactical radio, broadcast, and microwave systems.
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