AN/APG-63 radar family
AN/APG-63 and AN/APG-70 are designations for a family of all-weather multimode radar systems designed by Hughes Aircraft (now Raytheon) for the F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter, providing the "Eyes of the Eagle".
These X-band pulse-doppler radar systems are designed for both air-air and air-ground missions; they are able to look up at high-flying targets and down at low-flying targets without being confused by ground clutter.
The systems can detect and track aircraft and small high-speed targets at distances beyond visual range down to close range, and at altitudes down to treetop level.
The radar feeds target information into the aircraft's central computer for effective weapons delivery. For close-in dogfights, the radar automatically acquires enemy aircraft and projects this information onto the cockpit head-up display.
AN/APG-63
The APG-63 was developed in the early 1970s and has been operational since 1973. In 1979, it received a major upgrade and became the first airborne radar to incorporate a software programmable signal processor (PSP). The PSP allowed the system to be modified to accommodate new modes and weapons through software reprogramming rather than by hardware retrofit.
The APG-63 is no longer in production but remains in service. Almost 1,000 APG-63s had been delivered when production ended in 1986. About 700 are still operational in F-15As, Bs, and early model Cs and Ds operated by the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, and the air forces of Israel, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.
AN/APG-70
The APG-70 was a 1980s redesign of the APG-63 for greater reliability and easier maintenance. Additionally, gate array technology enabled the APG-70 to incorporate new modes with enhanced operational capabilities. To reduce production costs, many of the upgraded radar's modules are common with the APG-73 (F/A-18) radar.
APG-70 systems were originally installed on later model F-15 C/D aircraft, but have since been replaced on those aircraft by the APG-63(V)1. As with the basic APG-63, the APG-70 is no longer in production; but it is still in service on the F-15E Strike Eagle, the Israeli F-15I and the Saudi F-15S.
AN/APG-63(V)1
The APG-63(V)1 radar is a 1990s reliability/maintainability hardware redesign which also provided significant mode growth opportunities. It was designed to replace outmoded APG-63 and APG-70 radars installed in F-15 C/D aircraft models, providing improved performance and a tenfold increase in reliability. Raytheon delivered 161 APG-63(V)1 radar systems to the U.S. Air Force, and is on contract to deliver an additional 40 radars to the Republic of Korea Air Force for the F-15K Slam Eagle.
AN/APG-63(V)2
The APG-63(V)2 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar has been retrofitted to 18 U.S. Air Force F-15C aircraft. This upgrade includes most of the new hardware from the APG-63(V)1, but adds an AESA to provide increased pilot situational awareness. The AESA radar has an exceptionally agile beam, providing nearly instantaneous track updates and enhanced multi-target tracking capability. The APG-63(V)2 is compatible with current F-15C weapon loads and enables pilots to take full advantage of AIM-120 AMRAAM capabilities, simultaneously guiding multiple missiles to several targets widely spaced in azimuth, elevation, or range.
AN/APG-63(V)3
The APG-63(V)3 radar is a more modern variant of the APG-63(V)2, applying the same AESA technology utilized in Raytheon's APG-79. The (V)3 is designed for retrofit into F-15C and F-15E aircraft, and is also planned for use in Singapore's new F-15SG aircraft. Raytheon delivered the first prototype APG-63(V)3 system in June 2006 [1].
AN/APQ-180
The APQ-180 is a derivative of the APG-70 radar, designed for installation on the AC-130U gunship aircraft. It uses a modified planar array and an upgraded analog signal processor unit, and incorporates several enhanced air-to-ground modes.