Intelligence

U-125 Peace Krypton

Raytheon Aircraft produces the U-125 search-and-rescue variant of the Hawker 800, which is one of a number of Special Mission Aircraft -- missionized versions of Raytheon commercial aircraft serving special mission roles for the US military and government and its allies. In the military U-125A form, Hawker 800s can serve in a variety of special mission roles, including flight inspection, search and rescue, and maritime patrol. The Hawker 800 series was selected to provide a reconnaissance platform to the Republic of Korea, and the Japan Air Self Defense Force flies the aircraft for search-and-rescue as well as flight inspection. In addition, Hawkers will be used to support the SIVAM rain forest program in Brazil.

The Hawker 800XP (Extended Performance), the latest variant of the Hawker 800 mid- size corporate jet, offers superior performance in range and payload. Like all versions of the Hawker, the integral strength of the aircraft's design and construction, plus its reliability of operation, makes it an ideal platform for special mission applications. The Hawker 800XP offers max cruise of 465 knots, over 2,000-pound special mission payload, and long, low-altitude loiter. Reliable 4,660-pound Garret TFE 731-5BR power plants contribute to a range of 2,503 nautical miles, on-station endurance of over five hours, and an operational ceiling of 41,000 feet. For crew comfort there is 8.55 psi differential pressurization. The quiet cabin is heated and cooled and the Hawker 800XP offers toilet facilities. A full complement of navigation, communication, radio, instrumentation, and flight-control systems and full ice protection (engines and aerodynamic surfaces) assures all-weather operating capability.

As an intelligence gathering and surveillance performer, the Hawker 800XP combines speed and endurance to complete the mission efficiently. The aircraft's cruise speed of 465 kts, operational cruise altitude of 41,000 feet, and range of 3,100 nautical miles are in keeping with mission requirements. Takeoff and landing performance of the Hawker 800XP is superior. The aircraft flies effortlessly from airstrips as short as 4,000 feet and can even operate from grass and gravel runways.

The aircraft's large cabin easily accommodates the equipment and crew necessary to complete the intelligence and surveillance mission. The cabin is pressurized, heated, and cooled. The galley and toilet facilities all contribute to comfort and crew efficiency demands. As an intelligence gathering platform, the Hawker 800XP can be modified to receiver specific frequency ranges. They include HF, VHF, UHF, and microwave frequencies. As a surveillance airframe, it can be outfitted with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).

Raytheon Aircraft products have earned a reputation for high readiness rates. Some maritime patrol users have established a readiness rate of 97 percent. Pilot and maintenance training support is available from the worldwide Raytheon Aircraft Services network and authorized service centers, including some 78 facilities in 22 countries. Those customers who prefer total service support can employ Raytheon Aerospace--a worldwide service support organization whose customers include all four branches of the U.S. military.

Japan - U-125A

Japan was the first country to specify the U-125A special mission version of the Hawker 800, which is the most extensively modified special mission variant of the Hawker aircraft. Specially engineered and equipped for maritime search-and-rescue duties, they include features such as large observation windows on either side of the fuselage, a Toshiba 360-degree radar system, Melco thermal imaging equipment (TIE) system, a flare and marker-buoy dispenser, life raft and an emergency equipment dropping system. Other features include a comprehensive suite of communications equipment and enhanced protection against the salt water environment in which the aircraft operate.

Fourteen Hawkers, heavily modified for maritime search and rescue duties, have been ordered by the Japan Air Self Defense Force. In June 1997 another U-125A order was placed for the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF). The Kanematsu Corporation, Raytheon Aircraft's agent for the U-125A in Japan, exercised options for four additional U-125A airplanes for use by the JASDF. These latest aircraft are slated for shipment in late 1999, and will join 10 other U-125As. There were five U-125As already in service with the JASDF, with five aircraft in production. The total JASDF requirement is for 27 U-125As and, assuming all options are exercised, deliveries will take place through the year 2005. In addition to the U-125As, the JASDF operates three Hawker 800s, under the U-125 designation, for flight inspection duties.

Search and rescue duties are the main peacetime role of long range maritime patrol aircraft, which must be capable of air-dropping inflatable boats with sufficient capacity to deal with the crews and passengers of large vessels. In the U-125A, the life-raft is packed in a tube that can be accessed from the pressure cabin. The tube discharges through the mainwheel bay, requiring the undercarriage to be lowered. In 1996, a Japanese U-125A was credited late last year for saving the lives of 22 Russian civilian sailors whose ship was foundering in the Sea of Japan. The aircraft was called to assist in locating the Russian cargo vessel, which had issued distress calls and was reportedly sinking. The U-125A located the foundering vessel using its belly-mounted 360-degree search radar and forward-looking infrared thermal imaging equipment.

ROK - Peace Krypton RC-800 Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft

The Paekdu project, budgeted at US$210 million and begun in 1991, was a plan for the acquisition of a communications monitoring reconnaissance plane. In June 1991, the government picked E-Systems, Thompson and Germany's Ritef to bid for the systems, and either the Hawker 800, Citation or Faircon for the possible airframes. in June 1996, then Deputy Minister of National Defence Lee Jong-lin, head of the government' analysis team determined that the E-Systems Hawker 800 contract was inferior to those offered by Israel's Rafaele and Thompson of France. In June 1996 E-Systems was awarded the project, the Defence Intelligence Headquarters (DIH) opted for the American system to ensure compatability with USFK systems and the fact that quality was guaranteed by the U.S. government, even though it was more expensive. In December 1997, the Paekdu project ran into crisis when the management team revealed that the aircraft and systems involved had failed to meet 12 requirements of the contract (ROC).

Raytheon was selected in 1996 to provide a state-of-the-art Peace Krypton System airborne reconnaissance system to the Republic of Korea. The total value to Raytheon could exceed $250 million over the life of the program. The system uses reconnaissance equipment developed and integrated by Raytheon E-Systems installed on four Hawker 800XP jet aircraft made by Raytheon Aircraft. Four additional Hawker 800XP aircraft will also be purchased by the Republic of Korea for similar purposes. These aircraft were assembled at Raytheon Aircraft's Wichita facility, with deliveries commencing in late 1997.

On 10 October 1996, E-Systems, Incorporated, Greenville, Texas, was awarded a $135,292,056 firm fixed price contract to provide for modification of four Hawker 800XP aircraft with sensors to allow them to perform signal reconnaissance missions for Korea. As part of the contract, Raytheon E-Systems will also provide the Republic of Korea with a support facility. US Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

The mission of the Peace Krypton system program (known internally to Lockheed Martin Corporation as the Eagle program) is to collect reconnaissance imagery of selected areas during long range missions using an airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery intelligence collection system. The Peace Krypton system processes and transmits FTI (Fixed Target Imagery) and MTI (Moving Target Indicator) data collected from day/night/all-weather operation to ground exploitation facilities. The Peace Krypton system consists of four major subsystems: AE (Aircraft Element), CEES (Central Exploitation Equipment Subsystem), MEES (Mobile Exploitation Equipment Subsystem), and SE (Support Element). The AE includes four Hawker 800XP aircraft with SAR with FTI/MTI capability, airborne mission equipment such as workstation, and image data transmitting equipment. The ground-based, CEES and MEES include central and mobile facilities such as data server, computer peripheral equipment, shelters, ground data link, and workstations for mission planning and exploitation. The SE provides logistics and maintenance to support mission operations.

On September 6, 2006 the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Korea of continuing support for commercial RC-800 Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft and Reconnaissance Ground Stations as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $200 million.

The Government of Korea has requested a possible sale for the continuing support for commercial RC-800 Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft and Reconnaissance Ground Stations, to include contractor services; maintenance; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; communication support; prime mission equipment (PME); technical support; contractor engineering; and other related elements of program support. The estimated cost is $200 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in East Asia. Korea needs the sustainment support to continue its tactical reconnaissance and signal intelligence (SIGINT) operations. Past Letters of Offer and Acceptance provided the tactical reconnaissance and SIGINT gathering PME used in the aircraft and in the attendant ground stations which process and analyze the data gathered. Korea will use this material and support to maintain its current defensive capability and will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this material and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractors will be: Lockheed Martin Company in Goodyear, Arizona and L-3 Communications Company in Greenville, Texas as the sole source contractors for the proposed sustainment. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

On February 14th, 2007 Lockheed Martin announced that it is has been awarded a $28 million contract through the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency for upgrades and continued support of RC-800 reconnaissance aircraft and associated ground stations for the Republic of Korea's Peace Krypton system. Peace Krypton collects reconnaissance imagery of selected areas during long-range missions.

Used by the Republic of Korea for tactical intelligence, the RC-800 is a militarized specialty version of the former Hawker RC-800XP series business jet. Lockheed Martin's work scope for the Peace Krypton RC-800 includes upgrading, sustainment and maintenance of the fleet's synthetic aperture radar (SAR). This includes spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, communication support, prime mission equipment, technical support, engineering, as well as other elements of program support. Under a related contract, Lockheed Martin also supports and maintains the Hawker aircraft. The majority of the work for this contract will be performed in Goodyear, AZ over the duration of the three-year project.

Since developing the first operational SAR system in the early 1950s, Lockheed Martin has developed SAR technologies that support tactical reconnaissance and signals intelligence operations for a diverse range of customers. These innovative technologies have included high-resolution image and moving target indicator radar, airborne VHF/UHF dual-band synthetic aperture radar for imaging concealed targets, foliage penetrating radar, podded reconnaissance sensors designed for under the weather flying and medium-to-high threat daytime imagery collection, and an all weather, passive detection and tracking system suitable for real time 3D air surveillance.