Radar: On the prowl - Lynx radar to boost Iraq's ISR abilities

摘要

At least 2 million Shiite pilgrims came to Karbala, in southern Iraq, on Aug. 17 for the birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi, the 12th Imam, who Shiites believe is hidden away by God until Judgment Day. The holiday season had been marred by deadly bombings blamed on radical Sunnis, and the Iraqi government deployed 50,000 security personnel to Karbala, including 2,000 female guards to frisk women for suicide belts. Overhead, Iraqi Air Force pilots flew reconnaissance planes, although for security reasons, the U.S. officials who spoke for their allies declined to say what kind of aircraft and sensors the Iraqis flew. Judging by one of Iraq's latest ISR purchases from the U.S., however, the Iraqi government would have been unable to monitor the throngs beneath clouds or to detect sudden movements of trucks or cars that might be carrying insurgents or bombers. To address that problem, Iraq has begun taking delivery of six Lynx 2 synthetic aperture radar units that will be mounted in pods under aircraft. Built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems of San Diego, the radars are similar to those the U.S. Army plans to fly on its Reaper-derived Sky Warrior UAVs in Iraq starting as early as next year. Iraq, however, will fly its Lynx 2 radars on piloted twin-tur-boprop King Air 350ER planes.