ALR-67 Radar Warning Receiver
Encyclopedia
The AN/ALR-67 Radar Warning Receiver
Radar warning receiver
Radar warning receiver systems detect the radio emissions of radar systems. Their primary purpose is to issue a warning when a radar signal that might be a threat is detected. The warning can then be used, manually or automatically, to evade the detected threat...

is designed to warn an aircraft's crew of potentially hostile radar activity. It is an airborne threat warning and countermeasures control system built to be successor to the United States Navy's AN/ALR-45. Northrop Grumman Corporation's Electronic Systems sector (Rolling Meadows, Illinois) was the main contractor for the AN/ALR-67(V) and (V)2. Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems is a major business segment of Raytheon. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, SAS has a total employment of 12,000 and 2010 sales of US$ 4.8 billion. Rick Yuse is the segment's President...

 (Goleta, California) was the main contractor for the AN/ALR-67(V)3.

Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...

 AN/ALR-67(V) and AN/ALR-67(V)2

The AN/ALR-67 countermeasures warning and control system is the standard threat warning system for tactical aircraft and was specifically designed for the A-6E/SWIP
A-6 Intruder
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider...

, AV-8B, F-14B
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...

, F-14D
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...

 and F/A-18
F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...

. The system detects, identifies and displays radars and radar-guided weapon systems in the C to J frequency range
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...

 (about 0.5 to 20 GHz). The system also coordinates its operation with onboard fire-control radars
Fire-control system
A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...

, datalinks
Data link
In telecommunication a data link is the means of connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving information. It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a transmitter and a receiver and the interconnecting data telecommunication circuit...

, jammer
Jammer
Jammer may refer to:* Jammer keyboard* Jammer, a device used in radar jamming and deception, a technique in electronic warfare to inhibit or halt the transmission of signals* Swim jammer, a type of male competitive swimwear...

s, missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...

 detection systems and anti-radiation missiles
AGM-88 HARM
The AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile is a tactical, air-to-surface missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system...

.

The AN/ALR-67(V)2 comprises the following units:
  • four small spiral high-band antennas
    Helical antenna
    A helical antenna is an antenna consisting of a conducting wire wound in the form of a helix. In most cases, helical antennas are mounted over a ground plane. The feed line is connected between the bottom of the helix and the ground plane...

     to provide 360° azimuth RF coverage
  • four wideband, high-band quadrant receivers
  • a low-band array plus receiver to provide 360° azimuth low-band
    C band
    The C band is a name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including wavelengths of microwaves that are used for long-distance radio telecommunications. The IEEE C-band - and its slight variations - contains frequency ranges that are used for many satellite communications...

     coverage
  • a narrowband superheterodyne receiver
    Superheterodyne receiver
    In electronics, a superheterodyne receiver uses frequency mixing or heterodyning to convert a received signal to a fixed intermediate frequency, which can be more conveniently processed than the original radio carrier frequency...

     for signal analysis functions
  • twin CPU
    Central processing unit
    The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...

  • an azimuth display unit (ADU)
  • control unit.


The AN/ALR-67(V)2 in turn has been given a significant enhancement in capability, through Engineering Change Procedure ECP-510 to the AN/ALR-67E(V)2 standard. The AN/ALR-67E(V)2 provides additional enhancements including a 10-fold improvement in detection ranges when in the presence of a wingman's radar signals; it also incorporates Inertial guidance system (INS) stabilisation for accurate display in high g
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...

 manoeuvres and during high roll maneuvers.

The designation ALR-67B(V)2 is in connection with the ALR-67 systems fitted to Spain's EF-18
Spanish Air Force
-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...

 and Canadian's CF-18
CF-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet is a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter aircraft, based on the American McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter. In 1980, the F/A-18 was selected as the winner of the New Fighter Aircraft competition, and a production order was awarded...

 aircraft.

Over 1,600 AN/ALR-67(V) and AN/ALR-67(V)2 systems have been sold. The AN/ALR-67(V) has been supplied to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps and the air forces of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...

, Malaysia, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

.

Raytheon AN/ALR-67(V)3

The AN/ALR-67(V)3 is commonly referred to as the Advanced Special Receiver (ASR) set. The receiver electronics unit has been upgraded to a fully channelized digital architecture with dual 32-bit processors, yet with an overall reduction in system size and weight. The Azimuth Display Indicator (ADI) is a 3 in (76.2 mm) diameter CRT
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...

 or LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....

 cockpit display, carried over from the AN/ALR-67(V)2, used to show intercepted threats. The AN/ALR-67(V)3 also forms part of the electronic countermeasures
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...

 programme, including an interface to the ALE-50 Towed Decoy System
ALE-50 Towed Decoy System
The AN/ALE-50 Towed Decoy System was developed by Raytheon to protect multiple US military aircraft from radar-guided missiles. The AN/ALE-50 Towed Decoy System is an anti-missile countermeasures decoy system used on multiple U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps aircraft, and by certain foreign...

.

In August 1999, Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...

 was awarded an initial contract for full-rate production of the AN/ALR-67(V)3 for the U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a twin-engine carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. The F/A-18E single-seat variant and F/A-18F tandem-seat variant are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm gun and can carry air-to-air...

, totalling 34 complete installations, together with 40 spare quadrant receivers and five countermeasures receivers. These were delivered during 2001/02. Further production contracts followed, with the latest in April 2005, where Raytheon received its seventh production contract for 42 systems totalling US$ 44 million. This contract brought total orders to 284 receivers plus spares.

It has been reported (September 13, 2006)http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/400m-Hornet-radar-contract-dumped/2006/09/13/1157826975748.html that the Australian Defence minister has accepted a recommendation to stop development of the ALR-2002
ALR-2002
The AN/ALR-2002 Radar Warning Receiver is designed to warn an aircraft's crew of potentially hostile radar activity. British Aerospace Australia was the sole contractor for the AN/ALR-2002 Australian indigenous System...

 for the F/A-18, the RAAF will most likely install the ALR-67V(3) instead.

On August 3, 2007, Deagel.com reported that the Defense Security Cooperation Agency
Defense Security Cooperation Agency
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency , as part of the United States Department of Defense , provides financial and technical assistance, transfer of defense matériel, training and services to allies, and promotes military-to-military contacts....

 notified Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 of a possible Foreign Military Sale
Foreign Military Sales
The U.S. Department of Defense's Foreign Military Sales program facilitates sales of U.S. arms, defense equipment, defense services, and military training to foreign governments...

 to Canada of AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receivers as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $209 million. This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.

Other Variants

A variant of this system, designated AN/ALR-67(V)4, was included in a proposed upgrade for the F-14A
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...

but was never implemented due to the retirement of those aircraft in the United States.

External links

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