Raytheon, in collaboration with Hitachi Kokusai, has been awarded a contract to carry out upgrades on the Japanese Navy’s P-1 maritime surveillance aircraft.

As part of the P-1 maritime surveillance aircraft modernisation project, Raytheon will provide upgraded identification friend-or-foe (IFF) transponders with modern technologies, including a new waveform that can detect and track military aircraft.

"The Japanese Navy will have an increasingly secure and interoperable next generation IFF waveform that does not interfere with other flight-tracking systems."

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems integrated communication systems vice-president Scott Whatmough said: "The Japanese Navy will have an increasingly secure and interoperable next generation IFF waveform that does not interfere with other flight-tracking systems."

Approximately 70 planes will be fitted with the new transponders during the next several years.

Prior to the 2020 phase out of the legacy identification system, Nato and other nations have been gradually deploying the Mode 5 waveform due to its superior data security protection.

The military IFF systems are mainly aimed at offering time-critical positive identification of friendly forces.

The procedure is activated automatically by a ground or airborne interrogator, which generates a secure message. The transponder then obtains the interrogation and transmits a secure response.

Defence Technology