ADD和韩华（Hanwha）即将测试KF-X雷达原型机
韩国航宇工业公司（KAI）KF-X的雷达在以色列和韩国进行技术演示评估之后，正朝着原型机的生产迈进。
Radar development for the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-X is moving toward production of a prototype, following evaluation of a technology demonstrator in Israel and South Korea.
制造分包商韩华表示，由韩国国防发展局（ADD）引领的该项目，计划在5月底之前对生产代表性原型机进行地面测试。
The program, led by the government’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD), is planning to ground test the production-representative prototype by the end of May, manufacturing subcontractor Hanwha said.
由于Elta致力于技术演示阶段，似乎公司在2019年5月预期产品传感器通过关键设计审查时就已支持全面开发。韩华也在协助开发工作。
Since Elta worked on the technology-demonstration phase, that company may also be supporting full-scale development, which appears to have begun in May 2019 when the intended production sensor passed its critical design review. Hanwha is also contributing to development.
据报道，目前正在添加先前传感器性能的明显遗漏——地形跟踪模式。这款雷达尚未命名。
A terrain-following mode, formerly a notable omission from the sensor’s capabilities, is reportedly being added. No name for the radar has been published.
韩华研究员Hong Yoon-Sung对《朝鲜日报》称，已完成50%的雷达研制工作，而且原型机将在几个月内进行测试。
Radar development is 50% complete, Hanwha researcher Hong Yoon-Sung told the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, adding that the prototype would be tested within months.
原型雷达将安装在KF-X上，用于2023年的飞行测试。研制工作预计将在战机开始交付的2026年完成。
A prototype radar is due to be fitted in a KF-X for flight tests in 2023. Development is scheduled for completion in 2026, the year in which deliveries of the fighter are supposed to begin.
用于空对空和空对地模式的软件将于2021年10月开发完成。
Software for air-to-air and air-to-surface modes is due to be developed by October 2021.
该设计包括一个有源电子扫描阵列（AESA），根据政府研究所2014年的一份声明，还包括氮化镓组件。在一些国家，后者正在取代曾是AESA标配的砷化镓技术。据韩国新闻媒体《今日防务》报道，这款演示雷达也使用了氮化镓技术。
The design includes an active electronically scanned array (AESA) and, according to a government research institute statement in 2014, gallium-nitride components. In several countries the latter are superseding gallium-arsenide technology, formerly the standard for AESAs. The demonstrator also uses gallium-nitride technology, according to the South Korean news outlet Today Defense.
韩华表示，这款演示雷达配备了7.7千瓦的冷却功率。这预示了它的最大平均输出功率，根据系统的整体效率，它与冷却功率有关——尽管推测认为效率需要几个困难的假设作支撑。去年，希腊空军研究人员分析了诺斯罗普格鲁曼公司的APG-83型砷化镓雷达，在5.6千瓦冷却功率的基础上，发现平均天线输出功率高达1千瓦。因此，韩国这款示范雷达将高于这一数据。
Cooling power provided to the demonstrator radar is 7.7 kW, Hanwha said. This is a hint at its maximum average output power, which is related to cooling power according to the overall efficiency of the system—though guessing that efficiency requires several difficult assumptions. Analyzing the gallium-arsenide Northrop Grumman APG-83 radar, Hellenic Air Force researchers last year worked on the basis of 5.6 kW cooling and found an average antenna output of up to 1 kW. So the South Korean demonstrator should exceed that figure.
去年11月，韩华曾表示，已经完成对示范雷达硬件的评估工作。这就表明，演示雷达的软件有可能仍然处在研发中。
Hanwha said in November that evaluation of demonstrator hardware had been completed. This leaves open the possibility that demonstrator software is still being worked on.
ADD去年10月表示，曾把该演示雷达安装在Elta拥有的波音737测试平台上，在以色列飞行了10次，在韩国飞行了6次。Elta曾于2017年被选来支撑示范阶段的相关工作。这款演示雷达包含来自ADD和韩华的天线和软件，以及来自Elta的信号处理器和软件。
The demonstrator radar was installed in an Elta-owned Boeing 737 testbed and flew 10 times in Israel and six times in South Korea, the ADD said in October. Elta was chosen in 2017 to support the demonstration phase. The demonstrator includes an antenna and software from the ADD and Hanwha and signal processors and software from Elta.
但韩国官员和行业领袖有一种强烈的倾向，就是刻意夸大本国工程工作所发挥的作用，对外方支持的力度则轻描淡写。因此，如果Elta也曾协助相关设计工作或者至少改进了这款演示雷达，也就不足为奇了。同样，这家以色列公司可能正在悄悄地协助，或者随时准备为这款生产传感器的开发工作提供协助。
But South Korean officials and industry leaders have a strong tendency to play up the role of indigenous engineering work and downplay the extent of foreign support. It would not be surprising, therefore, if Elta helped in design or at least refinement of the demonstrator. Similarly, the Israeli company may be quietly helping, or standing by to help, with development of the production sensor.
韩国以前从未研发过任何类型的战斗机雷达，更不用说配备AESA和氮化镓技术的雷达了。
South Korea has not developed a fighter radar of any sort before, let alone one with an AESA and gallium-nitride technology.
去年12月，ADD宣布跟韩华签订了一份添加地形跟踪功能的合同。KF-X的图片和模型先前显示它像美国AAQ-13那样有一个导航吊舱，从而表明这款雷达缺少用于低空飞行的地形跟踪功能。
In December the ADD announced a contract with Hanwha to add the terrain-following function. Pictures and models of the KF-X have previously shown it with a navigation pod, like the U.S. AAQ-13, implying that the radar lacked terrain following, which is used for low-altitude flight.
使用这种吊舱有一些明显的弊端：给飞机增加额外的重量和阻力；发射的功率要比使用更大的机头阵列时的功率要高，因此也更容易被发觉。
Using the pod brought significant disadvantages: loading the aircraft with additional weight and drag; and transmitting at a higher, and therefore more detectable, power level than would be necessary if the much larger nose array were used.
韩华制作的演示视频显示，在三种空对空模式下对这款演示雷达进行了测试：全方位搜索和跟踪、机头方面搜索和跟踪以及空战机动。所测试的空对地模式包括：固定和移动目标指示、合成孔径、测距和空对海。
A video presentation made by Hanwha shows the demonstrator radar was tested in three air-to-air modes: all-aspect search and track, nose aspect search and track, and air combat maneuvering. Tested air-to-surface modes were stationary and moving target indication, synthetic aperture, ranging and air-to-sea.
这款演示雷达也尚未命名。
The demonstrator also has no known name.
在KF-X雷达研制工作中，韩华击败了LIG Nex1，后者不仅自费完成了初步开发工作，还在大韩民国空军的飞机上安装了外国雷达。尽管遭遇挫折，但LIG Nex1仍在坚持自费为其他飞机研发雷达。
In winning KF-X radar work, Hanwha beat LIG Nex1, which had done preliminary development at its own expense and had worked on fitting foreign radars to aircraft of the Republic of Korea Air Force. Despite the setback, LIG Nex1 is persisting with developing a radar at company expense for other aircraft.
这条消息是Bradley Perrett在Aerospace Daily & Defense Report发表的文章。 《Aerospace Daily & Defense Report 》是航空及国防领导人了解每日市场简报的主要渠道。获取有关国防、军事和民用航天类项目、预算及政策的最新重要情报。点击此处查看有关Aerospace Daily & Defense Report 更多消息。