09 July 2010
Thales UK and AgustaWestland (a Finmeccanica company) have today unveiled an enhanced airborne surveillance and control (ASaC) capability. The low-cost, low-risk capability builds on Thales’s combat-proven Sea King Mk7 ASaC Cerberus mission system and Searchwater 2000 radar, to provide enhanced operational effectiveness through the use of the next-generation AgustaWestland AW101 helicopter.
Thales and AgustaWestland have teamed to explore the potential for this capability in advance of the keenly expected Ministry of Defence requirement to replace the Sea King Mk7 ASaC aircraft after its planned retirement in 2016.
Nick Whitney, Senior VP UK Government Business Unit, AgustaWestland, says: “The AgustaWestland solution will deliver an enhanced, cost-effective and low-risk capability that exemplifies the role of an ASaC capability fit for the 21st century. The solution we have developed capitalises on the substantial investment already made by the MoD in both the helicopter and the excellent Thales Cerberus mission system and radar.”
Ed Lowe, Chief Operating Officer for Thales UK, says: “Sea King Mk 7 is a highly successful ASaC platform that has proved itself over land and sea. Thales looks forward to working with AgustaWestland to develop a programme to transfer our Cerberus mission system to the Merlin platform. I am confident this will provide the Royal Navy with a low-cost, low-risk method of delivering ASaC well into the future with no capability gap.”
The palletised Searchwater 2000 radar is deployed through the rear ramp aperture when in operation and stows in the cabin when not in use, enabling rapid transit between tasking. Two aft-facing modernised mission crew stations are located at the forward end of the cabin.
The following key features and benefits are also included:
- long-range, look up/look down air, land and sea capability;
- human machine interface optimised for two man operation;
- fully integrated Link 16 command and control capability;
- modern platform extends 360 deg radar horizon and significantly increase mission range and endurance.
The palletised ASaC equipment also enables a front line re-role capability delivering greater aircraft utility. The ASaC equipment can be role fitted to all AW101 utility variants.