RTX's Raytheon completes Delta Design Review of F/A-18E/F ADVEW prototype
Above: The system will integrate sixth generation capabilities into the US Navy's primary Strike Fighter aircraft.
Courtesy US Navy
ADVEW is being developed to replace existing electronic warfare components on the aircraft to improve survivability and long-term sustainability.
Executed ahead of schedule, the review assessed the weapons replaceable assemblies, or WRAs and how each part of the hardware system works together to meet required specifications. The review confirmed that the system can provide critical electronic attack and electronic support measures capabilities.
"This event is a significant milestone that demonstrates our multifunction approach of integrating electronic support and electronic attack to revolutionise modern electronic warfare systems," said Bryan Rosselli, president of Advanced Products & Solutions at Raytheon. "Our solution provides the needed capabilities to defeat the ever-evolving threats of the world's most dangerous adversaries now and well into the future."
Raytheon's integration of digital and model-based systems engineering tools in the development of ADVEW provides requirements traceability, streamlines system integration and mitigates risk to enable rapid aircraft integration. The company's approach leverages common material base and manufacturing processes to efficiently scale, reduce cost, minimise supply chain disruption and deliver ahead of schedule.
In December of last year, Raytheon was awarded a $80 million contract in a down select to prototype the system for the US Navy. The successful completion of this Delta Design Review marks another milestone of ADVEW development and begins the next phase, which includes US government laboratory testing to validate Open Mission Systems compliance and to demonstrate advanced system attributes.
