Raytheon to provide avionics radios for United Arab Emirates helicopters and fixed-wing planes
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., 14 July 2014. U.S. Army procurement experts are buying AN/ARC-231 avionics radio systems from the Raytheon Co. Integrated Defense Systems segment in Fort Wayne, Ind. for military helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., on Friday issued a justification-and-approval notice of the pending RF and microwave equipment sale to the United Arab Emirates. The value of the contract has yet to be negotiated, but is estimated at about $4.5 million.
Aircraft technicians will install the Raytheon AN/ARC-231 airborne radios on UAE Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters, Sikorsky S-70 medium-lift transport and utility helicopter, and Air Tractor AT-802U fixed-wing turboprop aircraft.
The upcoming contract includes ARC-231 radio components including the RT-1808A, AM-7529, AM-7565, AM-7566, C-12601, C-12608, MT-7166, and MT-7321.
The UAE AT-802U is a militarized version of the AT-802 single-engine air tanker and crop duster built by Air Tractor Inc. in Olney, Texas. The AT-802U has engine and cockpit armor, a bulletproof windscreen, self-sealing fuel tanks, and can carry 9,000 pounds of weapons and other payloads.
The Raytheon AN/ARC-231 Skyfire multimode airborne communications system is an avionics VHF and UHF line-of-sight avionics radio and satellite communications (SATCOM) system for military helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
The radio operates from 30 to 512 MHz, AM/FM VHF, UHF line-of-sight with frequency-agile modes electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM), UHF satellite communications (SATCOM), demand assigned multiple access (DAMA), integrated waveform (IW), air traffic control (ATC) channel spacing selectable in 5, 8.33, 12.5, and 25 kHz steps.
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Data communications that sends and receives text, still images, and video, uses an internal data controller, and sends data as fast as 56, 64, and 76.8 kilobits per second.
The aircraft radio has embedded encryption, as well as SINCGARS and HAVE QUICK I and II frequency agile modes. UHF SATCOM and DAMA protocols provide beyond-line-of-sight SATCOM, with IP networking. The ARC-231 is a software definable radio with upgrades available via PC-based software downloads.
For more information contact Raytheon online at www.raytheon.com, or the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground at www.apg.army.mil.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
