01 Nov 2006
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The new ‘test hood’ manufactured by the ATC.
Powerful aircraft radar transmitters can now be tested in safety virtually anywhere using a new ‘test hood’ manufactured by the ATC.
The portable devices fit over high power antennas in the nose and tail of the ‘Sky Shadow’ electronic countermeasures pod fitted to BAE Systems Tornado jet fighters. This new equipment can be transported anywhere with the aircraft allowing on the spot tests of this vital part of the Tornado’s formidable arsenal.
Sky Shadow is part of the aircraft’s defensive aids system and uses powerful Radio Frequency antennas to disrupt an enemy’s system. To be effective these antennas need to transmit high power, so great care is needed not to endanger people and equipment when the Sky Shadow pods are tested on the ground. The ATC test hoods allow precise measurement of the transmitter when running at full output while providing the necessary protection.
The test hoods cover the radar antennas at each end of the cigar shaped Sky Shadow pods that fit beneath the wings of Tornado aircraft. They capture the powerful radiated energy and allow test engineers to carry out diagnostic checks, without risking exposure to harmful radiation. The hoods also prevent broadcasting sensitive information relating to the operation of the electronic countermeasures that otherwise could be picked up by enemy forces. The previous, in-service test hoods had to be dismantled and rebuilt to accommodate the various configurations of the Sky Shadow pod and could not be easily adjusted or moved. The new design includes a novel self-adjusting interface that allows the hoods to be used with the pod’s external radomes and flight stabilisers either in place or removed. The hoods are also supplied with a fully adjustable transport trolley to provide the required manoeuvrability.
The ATC approach has now overcome the limitations of the original design. “Our solution combines skills in radar materials with thermal modelling to create a new fully functional design.” says Martin Cleere, Production Engineering Team Leader at the ATC.
The internal structure of the hoods is lined with advanced radar absorptive material and has been carefully engineered to manage and disperse the heat that is produced during testing. The result is a fully transportable test hood that is safe, robust and straightforward to use.
Work on the new design began in March 2005 progressing from drawing board to manufactured product in less than one year. All manufactured hoods have been delivered and are currently undergoing final release tests with customers, SELEX. From there, the hoods will be entered into service where they will help to support the fleet of BAE Systems Tornado aircraft.
