Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. said Monday it successfully completed radar flight-test certification for the U.S. Air Force's F-22, a fighter aircraft designed to ensure U.S. air superiority.
Northrop Grumman said its fourth-generation active electronically scanned array radar will improve the F-22, also known as a Raptor, aircraft's search and targeting capability.
The 24 Raptors of Lot 5 will be the first to receive the fourth-generation radar variant. Deliveries are scheduled for the end of this month.
The flight-test certification is a necessary prerequisite to make the Raptor and its radar variant available for combat.
Northrop Grumman and joint-venture partner Raytheon Systems produce the radar under contract to Boeing Co.'s Integrated Defense Systems unit, which is responsible for the F-22 program's avionic systems.
Northrop Grumman shares dropped 47 cents to $75.23 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.