Army orders more radar kits for Sky Warrior drones

Northrop Grumman Corp. will supply the Army with 40 additional STARlite wide-area surveillance radars for the MQ-1C Sky Warrior extended-range, multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicle through a contract option.

The company will deliver the radar kits to the Army’s Product Manager for Robotic and Unmanned Sensors Program Management Office over a one-year period beginning in March 2011, company officials said earlier this month.

The compact and lightweight radar system is equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and ground-moving target indicators and helps support Army tactical operations.

STARlite kits include a complete software package that enables the radar to interface with other Army systems and allows for easy operator control of the SAR images and ground-moving target detection features on standard Army maps.

STARlite has completed all first article and government testing requirements and is ready for deployment to the battlefield, the officials said.

The value of the contract option was not provided in the announcement.