The AN/TPS-43 is a transportable air search 3D radar produced in the United States originally by Westinghouse Defense and Electronic Division, which was later purchased by Northrop-Grumman. It is used primarily for early warning and tactical control, often for control over an associated surface-to-air missile battery or airfield. It is designed to be transported in two M35 cargo trucks and easily air-transportable on two pallets.
The TPS-43 uses multiple feed horns and an organ-pipe scanner to rapidly scan its pencil beam vertically while the entire antenna system rotates to scan in azimuth. By comparing the relative power of a return in one or more of the vertical feed horns, the target altitude can be determined. Since its introduction in 1966 it has undergone many modifications. In later versions, the organ-pipe was replaced by a stripline matrix to produce beamforming that had the same output pattern but had no moving parts. Many more upgrades were made to the transmitter and receiver as solid state electronics were able to handle increased power loads.
Among its notable uses were two examples used by the Argentine Air Force that were moved to the Falkland Islands during the 1982 Falklands War. The example at Port Stanley Airport survived two attacks by AGM-45 Shrike missiles before being captured by British forces. It was repaired, upgraded, and then used by the Royal Air Force for many years.
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The AN/TPS-43 is a ground-based, non-fixed (i.e.: transportable) search radar. [n 1] [1] The entire system can be broken down and packed into two M35 trucks for road transport.
An updated version replacing the original shaped reflector and organ-pipe scanner with a phased array antenna was originally known as the TPS-43E2, but emerged as a much more modern system and was renamed the AN/TPS-75. TPS-75 is the current transportable air control and warning (AC&W) radar used by the United States Air Force.[ citation needed ]
In addition to the basic TPS-43 several variants were developed. [2]
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The AN/TPS-43 completed development in 1963 and entered US service in 1968.[ citation needed ]
This radar was deployed by the Argentine Air Force during the 1982 Falklands War to Stanley and survived two British attacks with AGM-45 Shrike anti radar missiles on May 31 and June 3. [4] One of the radars was captured by British forces after the Argentine surrender and deployed at RAF Buchan. [5] Another set installed at Rio Grande, in the mainland, was used to guide Argentine attacks on the British fleet. [6]
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Rajendra is a passive electronically scanned array radar developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is a multifunction radar, capable of surveillance, tracking and engaging low radar cross section targets. It is a ground surveillance radar and is a great source of surveillance operating at frequency around 20 GHz. It is mainly used to track enemy's installations.
The AN/FPS-117 is an L-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) 3-dimensional air search radar first produced by GE Aerospace in 1980 and now part of Lockheed Martin. The system offers instrumented detection at ranges on the order of 200 to 250 nautical miles and has a wide variety of interference and clutter rejection systems.
An airport surveillance radar (ASR) is a radar system used at airports to detect and display the presence and position of aircraft in the terminal area, the airspace around airports. It is the main air traffic control system for the airspace around airports. At large airports it typically controls traffic within a radius of 60 miles (96 km) of the airport below an elevation of 25,000 feet. The sophisticated systems at large airports consist of two different radar systems, the primary and secondary surveillance radar. The primary radar typically consists of a large rotating parabolic antenna dish that sweeps a vertical fan-shaped beam of microwaves around the airspace surrounding the airport. It detects the position and range of aircraft by microwaves reflected back to the antenna from the aircraft's surface. The secondary surveillance radar consists of a second rotating antenna, often mounted on the primary antenna, which interrogates the transponders of aircraft, which transmits a radio signal back containing the aircraft's identification, barometric altitude, and an emergency status code, which is displayed on the radar screen next to the return from the primary radar.
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Captain Roberto Curilovic is a former Argentinian Navy pilot. On 25 May 1982 in the Falklands War, he sank the transport ship Atlantic Conveyor with an Exocet AM.39 anti-ship missile.
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The AN/TPS-44 is a transportable 2-dimensional air search radar produced in the United States originally by Cardion Electronics.
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Army/Navy Transportable Pulse-Radar Search-32 (AN/TPS-32) was a three-dimensional, tactical long-range surveillance radar operated by the United States Marine Corps from the early 1970s through the early 1990s. Developed by ITT Gilfillan in Van Nuys, California, the radar was the primary sensor for the Marine Corps' Tactical Air Operations Center (TAOC) and was optimized to work in concert with the MIM-23 Hawk Missile System and the Marine Tactical Data System.
The SCR-602 also known as the AN/TPS-3, was a mobile, lightweight, medium-range, early-warning radar utilized by the United States and its allies during World War II. The radar was originally designed for use during the initial stages of an amphibious assault or military operation where its lightweight relative to other radar systems was a distinct advantage. Once larger radars such as the SCR-270 or AN/TPS-1 came online the SCR-602 could also be used to fill in gaps in radar coverage.
AN/SPS-6 is a two-dimensional radar manufactured by Bendix and Westinghouse Electric. It was used by the US Navy as a first-generation air-search radar after World War II, and was widely exported to allies. In addition, the improved AN/SPS-12 is the derivative types developed in other countries.
The AN/TPS-63 was a medium range, Two-dimensional, L band radar system utilized by the United States Marine Corps from the early 1980s until finally retired in 2018. This mobile radar was developed by Northrop Grumman and complimented the AN/TPS-59 long range radar by providing 360 degree, gap-filling coverage of low altitude areas. Because it was more mobile, the TPS-63 was also employed as the first radar ashore during amphibious operations until the larger and more capable AN/TPS-59 was established. The TPS-63 was used in combat operations during the Gulf War, the 2003 invasion of Iraq and subsequent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The TPS-63 was eventually phased out of service in 2018 as it was replaced by the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar.