Originally Posted by
Davef68
In terms of capability, how does the Italian Navy AEW EH101 with the Eliradar HEW-784 compare to the Crowsnest?
CROWSNEST is only at Initial Operating Capability, so a bit of an unfair question!
Setting aside the differences between the relatively new HEW-784 and the decades-old Searchwater, and given the lesser funding spent on CROWSNEST compared to the ASaC Mk7, I’d be asking first what has changed between these UK capabilities.
On Sea King, the radar was the least of it. Much of the work had been done piecemeal since the late 80s, as individual tasks. The real advances were JTIDS/Link 16, the first use of a Ring Laser Gyro with embedded GPS, the new secure comms - the first to encrypt hoppers (a significant upgrade to the obsolescent Merlin HM1 system, which remained at a pre-1985 standard for many years), the first fully integrated Active Noise Reduction, Video Graphic Recorders capable of maintaining 1 pixel resolution (the BBC’s wet dream at the time), with MoD risking a 6-year punt on Moore's Law. Little things, like a new IFF and degaussers. All of this, and the airframe contract, was under way (and some delivered) long before the ‘prime’ radar contract was let, being technical and contractual prerequisites.
And, most impressively, the Man Machine Interface, designed from scratch by an RN Lieutenant at Boscombe Down; who also designed and built the twin consoles and ran it on Windows 95. An astonishing feat.
What the ASaC didn’t get, because the RN didn’t ask for it, was a self-protection suite. The old Orange Crap ESM remained, although upgraded to make it actually work; whereas Merlin had Orange Reaper. One of very few areas where Merlin led. ASaC was later upgraded though.
So, first question, was Merlin upgraded to at least match this? You can fit the best radar you can find, but it’s more or less useless without the other stuff.