Northrop Grumman Developing Next Generation F-35 Radar Upgrade

January 30, 2023

Northrop Grumman is developing AN/APG-85, an advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for the F-35 Lightning II. (Image: Northrop Grumman)

Northrop Grumman is developing AN/APG-85, an advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for the F-35 Lightning II. The radar will serve as an upgrade to the AN/APG-81 radar, also manufactured by Northrop.

The AN/APG-85 is an advanced multifunction sensor that will be compatible with all variants of the F-35 aircraft and will be “capable of defeating current and projected adversarial air and surface threats,” according to the company.

The development and integration of APG-85 will incorporate some of the latest technologies available and help ensure air superiority. The advanced sensor will provide improved battlespace situational awareness that translates into “platform lethality, effectiveness and survivability,” according to Northrop.

In addition to producing the AN/APG-85 and AN/APG-81 radars, Northrop also manufactures the F-35’s center fuselage and wing skins for the aircraft, produces and maintains several sensor systems, avionics, mission systems and mission-planning software, pilot and maintainer training systems courseware, electronic warfare simulation test capability, and low-observable technologies.

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