A Northrop Grumman [NOC] active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar in development for the Marine Corps successfully detected multiple rocket launches during recent testing, the company said recently.
The AN/TPS-80 AESA Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) is designed to use a myriad of sensor capabilities to detect and track a wide variety of threats, including manned aircraft, cruise missiles and unmanned autonomous systems, as well as mortar, rocket and artillery rounds.
Northrop Grumman said it is the first ground-based multi-role radar to be developed for the Pentagon.
The “missile detection testing is yet another example of the expanded capability that is possible with an active electronically scanned array multi-mission radar,” said Steve McCoy, the company’s vice president for tactical sensor solutions. “This demonstration required only minimal software modifications to the G/ATOR system, and no hardware changes at all.”
Northrop Grumman believes the system could have applications across a variety of programs, including the Air Force’s Three Dimensional Expeditionary Long Range Radar, the Army’s Patriot Fire Control Radar, the replacement for the Marine Corps’ aging TPS-59 radar, and the Navy’s Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR).