Ferranti Blue Fox
A British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS1, showing the black radome for the nose-mounted Blue Fox radar antenna.
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| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
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| Introduced | 1979 |
| Type | Airborne radar |
| Frequency | I-band |
The Ferranti Blue Fox was a British multi-role airborne radar designed and built for the Royal Navy by Ferranti Defence Systems in the late 1970s.
The Blue Fox was a lightweight frequency agile I band airborne radar designed for use on the British Aerospace Sea Harrier FRS.1, with two roles, airborne interception and air-to-surface search and strike. The radar was modular with a flat aperture slotted-array antenna, and weighed less than 85 kilograms in total. The original requirement from the Royal Navy was for a system able to detect large targets such as maritime reconnaissance aircraft or anti-shipping bombers flying over the sea. The system was designed within strict limits of size, time and cost and was developed from the Ferranti Sea Spray radar, used in the Westland Lynx naval helicopter.
Three two-seat Hawker Hunters were also fitted with Blue Fox radars for Royal Navy Sea Harrier pilot training, designated Hunter T.8M.
The Blue Fox entered operational service with the Fleet Air Arm in July 1981 when 801 Naval Air Squadron, under the command of Commander Nigel "Sharkey" Ward, was commissioned and went to sea aboard HMS Invincible. Previously, 899 Naval Air Squadron, the Headquarters Training Squadron for the new Sea Harrier and 800 Naval Air Squadron, the first operational unit of the type, had initially flown their aircraft without radar fitted.
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