Tacit Blue also tested ELINT sensors!!!!!

We are all familiar with Nothrop's Tacit Blue experimental stealth aircraft. However, I just found something I've never seen before. Tacit Blue might have been involved with testing intelligence equipment. Accoring to the Report the aircraft was used to test both stealth radar and Advanced ELINT equipment:

TACIT BLUE owes some of its unique shape and size to the reconnaissance equipment it was designed to carry. A Hughes multi-mode-side-looking radar (SLAR) a predecessor to the ground surveillance radar used in Joint Stars, took up a large part of SHAMU's structure. The SLAR on TACIT BLUE was part of an effort to test if a LPI (low probability of intercept) radar could be flown on a stealth aircraft without compromising its presence. ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) antennas for intercepting enemy communications were also part of TACIT BLUE's reconnaissance systems.

If this is correct, this would suggest that Northrop was (and probably still is) involved in the development of a Stealth ELINT platform of some kind. This would fit with some of the TR-3A concepts. The report also would imply that an aircraft similar to the Tacit Blue might still be in use. What do you all think?

Was this your source

Dan's History



The Northrop made 'Tacit Blue' was a stealth test vehicle. Tactic Blue never went into production but yielded valuable data.


Northrop Tacit Blue
Type:
Specifications:
Crew: pilot
Length: 55.8 ft
Wingspan: 48.2 ft
Weight: 30,000 lbs
Engines: Two high-bypass turbofans Garrett ATF3-6 5440 pounds thrust each

Flight control is supplied by a quadruply-redundant, digital fly-by-wire flight system that stabilizes the aircraft about the longitudinal and directional axes, much like the s.

Tacit Blue completed 135 flights over a three year period, with the maiden flight taking place on February, 1982. The aircraft logged three to four flights weekly and on several occasions flew more than one a day. TACIT BLUE owes some of its unique shape and size to the reconnaissance equipment it was designed to carry. A Hughes multi-mode-side-looking radar (SLAR) a predecessor to the ground surveillance radar used in Joint Stars, took up a large part of SHAMU's structure. The SLAR on TACIT BLUE was part of an effort to test if a LPI (low probability of intercept) radar could be flown on a stealth aircraft without compromising its presence. ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) antennas for intercepting enemy communications were also part of TACIT BLUE's reconnaissance systems.

There were a total of five pilots who flew the aircraft. The first was Dick Thomas, a Northop test pilot. The air Force pilots were Lieutenant Colonel Ken Dyson (who was also a HAVE BLUE pilot) and Lieutenant Colonels, Wes Easter, Don Cornell and Major Dan Vanderhurst.

On google found a few site that appear to talk of the same thing but as they are in Russian I can't comment

Originally posted by Popeye
Was this your source

Dan's History



The Northrop made 'Tacit Blue' was a stealth test vehicle. Tactic Blue never went into production but yielded valuable data.


Northrop Tacit Blue
Type:
Specifications:
Crew: pilot
Length: 55.8 ft
Wingspan: 48.2 ft
Weight: 30,000 lbs
Engines: Two high-bypass turbofans Garrett ATF3-6 5440 pounds thrust each

Flight control is supplied by a quadruply-redundant, digital fly-by-wire flight system that stabilizes the aircraft about the longitudinal and directional axes, much like the s.

Tacit Blue completed 135 flights over a three year period, with the maiden flight taking place on February, 1982. The aircraft logged three to four flights weekly and on several occasions flew more than one a day. TACIT BLUE owes some of its unique shape and size to the reconnaissance equipment it was designed to carry. A Hughes multi-mode-side-looking radar (SLAR) a predecessor to the ground surveillance radar used in Joint Stars, took up a large part of SHAMU's structure. The SLAR on TACIT BLUE was part of an effort to test if a LPI (low probability of intercept) radar could be flown on a stealth aircraft without compromising its presence. ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) antennas for intercepting enemy communications were also part of TACIT BLUE's reconnaissance systems.

There were a total of five pilots who flew the aircraft. The first was Dick Thomas, a Northop test pilot. The air Force pilots were Lieutenant Colonel Ken Dyson (who was also a HAVE BLUE pilot) and Lieutenant Colonels, Wes Easter, Don Cornell and Major Dan Vanderhurst.

Yes! That's the site!

reply to post by ghost


I know for a fact that all five of the engines produced for and used on the Northrop Tacit Blue program were sold to the U.S.C.G. and three were upgraded to ATF3-6-4C configuration. The other two were parted out and used as spares.

The three engines produced for the Teledyne-Ryan YQM-98A Compass Cope program were all destroyed in a cleanup of Site B facility in Torrance, CA.

All remaining engines are on U.S.C.G. HU-25 Guardians, French Navy Gardians, or Falcon Jet 200 commercial aircraft, or in the Honeywell engine bank (rental engines).

I worked the ATF3 program from 1968 throgh 2001