The installation of two massive radar systems on a Navy ship designed to gather data about ballistic missile launches by countries around the world has been completed, Raytheon [RTN] said recently.
Raytheon said the radar suite was completed with the placing of the X- and S-band antennas onto the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM 25) as part of the Cobra Judy Replacement program. Lorenzen is designated to replace the USNS Observation Island T-AGM 23), which is expected to leave service next year.
The sensor suite on the new ship will bring “much greater capability, higher sensitivity, longer range,” said Denis Donohue, Raytheon’s director for above water sensors.
With a duel-band radar suite of X- and S-band phased-array sensors, the Lorenzen will be tasked with global technical data collections of missiles in flight. Each of the antennas weighs about 500,000 pounds.
The work was performed at Kiewit Offshore Services in Corpus Christi, Texas.