The United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has announced that it will equip its C-130 fleet, including the AC-130J, MC-130J and HC-130J models, with Radar AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (Sabr) from Northrop Grumman.
The program provides for the acquisition of 147 radars and components for 133 aircraft, as well as spare parts, marking a significant advance in the skills of surveillance, navigation and target engagement of these platforms.
+First F-35B is taken by CH-53K to MCAS BEAUFORT for retirement as an exhibition
+Ukrainian Plane AN-32P Help Montenegro to combat fires with the support of the United Arab
Currently, the fleet uses mechanically swept legacies, such as the AN/APN-241that lack modern functionality essential for contested environments. THE APG-83already employed in the F-16it offers almost instant scanning, high resolution SAR images, mobile target tracking and greater interference resistance, significantly expanding the effectiveness of aircraft in surveillance, attack and electronic war operations, even in adverse weather conditions.
The update is considered strategic to expand fleet roles as well as traditional counter -terrorism operations. THE AC-130J may identify targets at longer distances and act at limited conditions for optical sensors, while the MC-130J It will gain advanced navigation capabilities, long -range communication and electronic war.
The program integrates with other updates, such as Radar AN/APQ-187 Silent Knightand reflects a long -term effort from the SOCOM to modernize your fleet of Hercules with state -of -the -art technologies.
Source: The Aviationist | Photo: x @defence_ida | This content was created with the help of AI and revised by the editorial team
U.S. Special Operations Command has chosen Northrop Grumman’s APG-83 SABR to upgrade and replace the legacy radars on AC-130J, MC-130J and HC-130J aircraft. pic.twitter.com/631lqkQAS2
— International Defence Analysis (@Defence_IDA) September 1, 2025
