AN/TPQ-53 Quick Reaction Capability Radar is a mobile active electronically scanned array counter-battery radar system manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
The radar is specifically designed to locate the firing positions of both rocket and mortar launchers. The AN/TPQ-53 has a maximum detection range of 38 miles / 60 km and has an operating frequency of 2 - 4 GHz.
Per the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the nomenclature AN/TPQ-53 is thus derived:
The TPQ-53 radar's delivery on 2 July 2009 followed its successful live-fire performance testing against indirect fire from mortars, artillery and rockets from a simulated enemy. The system has been tested and approved by the US Army. TPQ-53 radar systems will replace the aging TPQ-36 and TPQ-37 medium-range radars now in the Army's inventory. In addition to its counter-fire and counter-drone missions, [2]
Prior to September 2011 This system was known as EQ-36 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar. [3]
In June 2013 the United States Army exercised a contract option to finish out the total production of 51 systems. [4] After a contract award 24 April 2017 has completed production, the Army will hold more than 170 such systems. [5] In April 2020 the first GaN based AN/TPQ-53 was delivered to the U.S. Army [6]
After Russian-backed separatists started operating tanks in Eastern Ukraine, the U.S. started sending military items to Ukraine, including 20 AN/TPQ-53 radar systems in 2015. As a result, Ukraine's units thus equipped had casualty rates decline from 47 percent to around 18 percent. Ukrainian combat expertise with the system led to their providing training to U.S. forces. [7]
The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary such system used by the United States Army and several allied states. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the "Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target," which is a backronym for "Patriot". In 1984, the Patriot system began to replace the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary high to medium air defense (HIMAD) system and the MIM-23 Hawk system as the U.S. Army's medium tactical air defense system. In addition to these roles, Patriot has been given a function in the U.S. Army's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system. As of 2016, the system is expected to stay fielded until at least 2040.
The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army and mounted on a standard U.S. Army Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) M1140 truck frame.
The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is an American armored self-propelled multiple launch rocket system.
Counter-battery fire is a battlefield tactic employed to defeat the enemy's indirect fire elements, including their target acquisition, as well as their command and control components. Counter-battery arrangements and responsibilities vary between nations but involve target acquisition, planning and control, and counter-fire. Counter-battery fire rose to prominence in World War I.
A counter-battery radar or weapon tracking radar is a radar system that detects artillery projectiles fired by one or more guns, howitzers, mortars or rocket launchers and, from their trajectories, locates the position on the ground of the weapon that fired it. Such radars are a subclass of the wider class of target acquisition radars.
The AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel is an X-band electronically steered pulse-Doppler 3D radar system used to alert and cue Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) weapons to the locations of hostile targets approaching their front line forces. It is currently produced by Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
Hughes AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder weapon locating system is a mobile radar system developed in the mid-late 1970s by Hughes Aircraft Company and manufactured by Northrop Grumman and ThalesRaytheonSystems, achieving initial operational capability in May 1982. The system is a "weapon-locating radar", designed to detect and track incoming mortar, artillery and rocket fire to determine the point of origin for counter-battery fire. It is currently in service at battalion and higher levels in the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, Australian Army, Portuguese Army, Turkish Army, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Hughes AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder Weapon Locating System is a mobile radar system developed in the late 1970s by Hughes Aircraft Company, achieving Initial Operational Capability in 1980 and full deployment in 1984. Currently manufactured by ThalesRaytheonSystems, the system is a long-range version of "weapon-locating radar", designed to detect and track incoming artillery and rocket fire to determine the point of origin for counter-battery fire. It is currently in service at brigade and higher levels in the United States Army and by other countries. The radar is trailer-mounted and towed by a 2+1⁄3-short-ton (2,100 kg) truck. A typical AN/TPQ-37 system consists of the Antenna-Transceiver Group, Command Shelter and 60 kW Generator.
The SLC-2 Radar is a Chinese active electronically scanned array counter-battery radar designed to locate hostile artillery, rocket and ground-to-ground missile launchers immediately after firing, and to support friendly artillery by guiding counter-battery fire.
The Type 704 is a counter-battery radar designed to accurately locate the hostile artillery, rocket and ground-to-ground missile launcher immediately after the firing of enemy, and support friendly artillery by providing guidance of counter fire. Built by NORINCO, it was first displayed publicly in 1988's ASIADEX defence show.
ARTHUR is a counter-battery radar system originally developed jointly for and in close co-operation with the Norwegian and Swedish armed forces by Ericsson Microwave Systems in both Sweden and Norway. It is also used by the British Army, under the names mobile artillery monitoring battlefield radar or mobile artillery monitoring battlefield asset (MAMBA).
Counter rocket, artillery, and mortar, abbreviated C-RAM or counter-RAM, is a set of systems used to detect and/or destroy incoming rockets, artillery, and mortars before they hit their targets, or provide early warning.
The Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) is the artillery arm of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of ten regular regiments and two volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.
The Swathi weapon locating radar is a mobile artillery-locating, phased array radar developed by India. This counter-battery radar is designed to detect and track incoming artillery and rocket fire to determine the point of origin for counter-battery fire.
The AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) is the United States Marine Corps next-generation Air Surveillance/Air Defense and Air Traffic Control (ATC) Radar. The mobile active electronically scanned array radar system is being developed by Northrop Grumman and was expected to reach initial operating capability in August 2016.
Aistyonok is a portable counter-battery radar system developed and produced by the state-owned Almaz-Antey corporation for the Russian Armed Forces.
Zoopark-1 1L219 is a counter-battery radar system developed by Almaz-Antey for the Soviet Armed Forces. It is a mobile active electronically scanned array radar for the purpose of enemy field-artillery acquisition. The system can detect mortar shells at a distance of up to 20 kilometers, up to 30 kilometers for artillery shells and up to 50 kilometers for ground-to-air rockets, determining location of origin of a fire. Moving ground targets can be detected at a distance of up to 40 kilometers. It reached initial operating status in 1989.
COBRA COunter Battery RAdar is a Counter-battery radar system developed jointly by Thales, Airbus Defence and Space and Lockheed Martin for the French, British and German Armed Forces. It is a mobile Active electronically scanned array 3D radar based on a wheeled chassis for the purpose of enemy field artillery acquisition.
The Centurion C-RAM, also called the Land Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS), is an American Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) air defense artillery system. The system was developed in 2004, during and after the Iraq War identified a weakness in ground-based anti-projectile artillery. The system is produced by Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Oshkosh Corporation.