Lockheed Martin announced today that it will upgrade radar capabilities for the reconnaissance version of the Japan Air Self Defence Force's fleet of F-15 aircraft As part of a Japanese-led team, Lockheed Martin will equip select F-15 aircraft with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) pods.

"Lockheed Martin has been advancing SAR technologies since the 1950's," said John Mengucci, president of Mission & Combat Support Solutions for Lockheed Martin's Information Solutions & Global Services business area. "We look forward to providing the Japan Air Self Defence Force with a system that gives them flexibility over weather constraints and introduces the ability for night operations."

Lockheed Martin will install SAR into external pods that will be attached to the bottom of select F-15 aircraft. Once integrated onto the aircraft, the radar will receive, process and disseminate critical targeting information in real-time. The system utilizes a solid-state digital system to record imagery, an airborne data-link to electronically relay information to ground stations, and the SAR to accurately locate targets anytime day or night in any type of weather condition. The modified F-15 jets are slated to replace several aging RF-4 reconnaissance jets, which will soon be decommissioned by the Japan Air Self Defence Force.

Since developing the first operational SAR system in the early 1950s, Lockheed Martin has adapted SAR technologies for numerous military, government and civilian applications. As an active system that senses with radio waves rather than light, SAR has revolutionized reconnaissance by peering through clouds and darkness to create photo-quality images. SAR has been used to generates images for a diverse range of military and science applications including earth resources monitoring, agricultural and land use, ocean spill monitoring, polar ice assessment, intelligence acquisition, battlefield reconnaissance and weapon delivery.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin