Performing a Sink Exercise, or SINKEX, an MQ-9B SeaGuardian Unmanned Aircraft System from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. used SeaVue Multi-role Radar (SVMR) surveillance and imaging to survey multiple targets and send track data to F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft. The aircraft were able to use the data provided by the radar to successfully fire a Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) at a decommissioned amphibious assault ship, the USS Tarawa (LHA-1), showcasing SVMR’s net-enabled, long-range weapons employment capabilities.
“SVMR proved its ability to capture high fidelity targeting data needed for successful weapons engagement in a maritime environment,” said Bryan Rosselli, president of Advanced Products & Solutions at Raytheon. “The live-fire exercise enabled us to test and validate SVMR to ensure it can provide the situational awareness required in an operational environment – allowing faster decision making and more efficient kill chains.”
SVMR is a modern, software-defined radar that provides all-weather surveillance and superior multi-mission performance for crewed and uncrewed aircraft, including fixed, rotary-wing and aerostat platforms.
Leveraging over 60 years of surveillance radar innovation, SVMR provides extended range and small target detection from operational altitudes, enabling a more capable and efficient method for monitoring and protecting. It features a modular and scalable architecture that supports affordable upgrades and sustainment and has been developed and extensively flight tested for low and high-altitude surveillance modes.