Northrop Grumman said it completed flight-test certification for the fourth-generation of the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor. Northrop Grumman, which produces the radar under contract to Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems unit, said the latest version of the AESA radar, designated the AN/APG-77V(1), brings a significant upgrade to the F-22 aircraft. Flight tests of the AESA radar system were conducted as part of an overall flight-test certification of the Raptor at Edwards Air Force Base from Jan. 18 to March 7, 2007. The tests included four sorties involving the launch of AIM-120 and AIM-9 missiles and 1,000-lb. Joint Direct Attack Munitions against simulated threats. The flight-test certification is one of the prerequisites for the aircraft to begin the Operational Utility Evaluation (OUE) phase. Successful completion of the OUE, which is conducted at several Air Force bases, signifies the Raptor, as equipped with the fourth-generation radar variant, is available for combat. For related news