The AN/APG-66

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

is a solid state medium range (up to 150 km)

pulse-Doppler A pulse-Doppler radar is a radar system that determines the range to a target using pulse-timing techniques, and uses the Doppler effect of the returned signal to determine the target object's velocity. It combines the features of pulse radars an ...

planar array radar originally designed by the

Westinghouse Electric Corporation The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an American manufacturing company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse. It was originally named "Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company" and was renamed "Westinghouse Electric Corporation" in ...

(now

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...

) for use in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. This radar was employed in all domestic and export versions of the F-16 A/B models throughout the production. Subsequent upgrades have been installed in many varying aircraft types, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's C-550

Cessna Citation The Cessna Citation is a family of business jets by Cessna that started in 1972 with the entry into service of the first model. In the fifty years following the 1969 first flight, more than 7,500 Citations were delivered, forming the largest b ...

, US Navy P-3 Orion, and Piper PA-42 Cheyenne II's, as well as the Small Aerostat Surveillance System (SASS). Primary air-combat mode is look-down. In that mode, the AN/APG-66 can detect a fighter-size plane at a range of 34.5 Nautical miles (55.6 kilometers). Four modes are available in air-to-air combat. In dogfight mode, the radar scans a 20 degrees x 20 degrees field. In high-g maneuvers, it scans a 40 degrees x10 degrees pattern. The radar system consists of the following

line-replaceable unit A line-replaceable unit (LRU), lower line-replaceable unit (LLRU), line-replaceable component (LRC), or line-replaceable item (LRI) is a modular component of an airplane, ship or spacecraft (or any other manufactured device) that is designed to b ...

s: * Antenna *

Transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the ...

* Low-power radio frequency * Digital signal processor * Radar computer

Specifications

* Frequency: 6.2 to 10.9 GHz * Search cone: 120 degrees × 120 degrees * Azimuth angular coverage: ±10 degrees / ± 30 degrees / ± 60 degrees * Weight: 98 to 135 kg depending on configuration * Volume: 0.08 m³ to 0.102 m³ depending on configuration

Variants

* APG-66(V) – Employed in select US Navy P-3 Orion aircraft as part of a Counter Drug Update (CDU) for Counter-narcotics (CN) surveillance and interdiction operations in support of

USCG The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

* APG-66(T47) – installed in Cessna OT-47B. * APG-66(V)2 – upgrade of base radar developed for the F-16 Fighting Falcon Block 15 Mid Life Update program. New signal processor, higher output power, improved reliability. Range in clutter/jamming environment increased to 83 km. ** ARG-1 AN/APG-66(V)2 downgraded variant of the APG-66 , designed for the

Argentine Air Force "Argentine Wings" , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 August (anniversary) 1 May (Baptism of fire during the Falklands War) , equipment = 139 aircraft , equipment_label = , battles = * Operation Independence * Operation Soberanía * Falkl ...

A-4AR Fightinghawk The Lockheed Martin A-4AR Fightinghawk is a major upgrade of the McDonnell Douglas A-4M Skyhawk attack aircraft developed for the Argentine Air Force which entered service in 1998. The program was named ''Fightinghawk'' in recognition of th ...

**APG-66(V)2A – AN/APG-66(V)2 with a new combined signal and data processor that provides seven times the speed and 20 times the memory of the older radar computer and digital signal processor line replaceable units. In this new variant, the displayed resolution in ground-mapping mode is quadrupled, and is reported to be close to that offered by SAR techniques. Used for modernization of F-16A/B fleet of Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal and the Netherlands in the mid-1990s. * APG-66(V)3 – as APG-66(V)2 but with CW illumination capability, export to Taiwan. * APG-66(V)X – improved version of the APG-66(V)2/3 radar with greater detection range. * APG-66H – installed on

BAE Hawk 200 The British Aerospace Hawk 200 is a single-seat, single engine light multirole fighter designed for air defence, air denial, anti-shipping, interdiction, close air support, and ground attack. Development In 1984, British Aerospace (now BA ...

aircraft, smaller antenna, giving slightly reduced capabilities. * APG-66J – configured for the Japanese F-4EJ upgrade program. * APG-66NT – installed on US Navy T-39N aircraft for instruction of Student

Naval Flight Officer A naval flight officer (NFO) is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots (naval aviators), but they may perform many "co-pilot" or ...

s. * APG-66NZ – installed under the Project KAHU on New Zealands

A-4 Skyhawk The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed ...

aircraft. * APG-66SR * APG-66SS * APG-66T – multi-target

track while scan The track while scan (TWS) is a mode of radar operation in which the radar allocates part of its power to tracking the target or targets while part of its power is allocated to scanning, unlike the straight tracking mode, when the radar directs all ...

variant. * APQ-164 – designed for the US Air Force

B-1 Lancer The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...

bomber, with a passive electronically scanned array.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:AN APG-66 Aircraft radars Military radars of the United States Northrop Grumman radars Radars of the United States Air Force Equipment of the United States Coast Guard Military electronics of the United States