The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has selected Honeywell’s
IntuVue RDR-7000 weather radar system as an upgrade to
existing systems on its Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk and Eurocopter
MH-65 Dolphin multi-mission helicopters.
The upgrade
builds on the performance and situational
awareness provided by the currently installed Honeywell P701 weather radar system.
The RDR-7000 will feature state-of-the-art capabilities, including fully
automated tilt and gain controls, an intuitive weather return
display and advanced surveillance of maritime vessels.
The
significantly reduced size, weight and power will reduce
operational cost, improve fuel efficiency and enhance mission
readiness.
“We have a strong understanding of the needs of the
United States Coast Guard, and we are confident that the
next-generation weather radar technology provided by the IntuVue
RDR-7000 system will significantly enhance USCG mission
readiness for the safety and security of the United States,” said
Matt Milas, president, Defense and Space, Honeywell Aerospace.
“For more than 100 years, Honeywell has developed flight
safety systems for all types of aircraft and spacecraft, and this
latest radar sets the standard for the industry.”
The
RDR-7000 uses 3D volumetric scanning across an extensive detection
range to create a complete, real-time view of weather from 0
to 60,000 feet vertically and up to 180 nautical miles in front of
the aircraft for typical helicopter applications utilizing a
12-inch antenna.
For large helicopter and fixed-wing
applications, the radar range can be extended up to 320 nautical
miles by utilizing a larger antenna.
The radar is also fully
automated and does not require active pilot adjustments of tilt
and gain controls for operation, significantly reducing
workload in the cockpit. This enables pilots to
focus less on radar operation and more on mission execution
while operating in challenging weather conditions.
The RDR-7000 also provides an advanced “Real Beam”
maritime surveillance mode for detecting seaborne targets on
the radar display.
