The AN/APQ-120 was an aircraft fire control radar (FCR) manufactured by Westinghouse for the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II. AN/APQ-120 has a long line of lineage, with its origin traced all the way back to Aero-13 FCR developed by the same company in the early 1950s. A total of half a dozen FCRs were tested and evaluated on the first 18 F-4s built,[1] but they were soon replaced by later radars produced in great numbers, including AN/APQ-120.
The Aero 13 FCR designed for Douglas F4D Skyray is the origin of AN/APQ-120, and it established the configuration of the airborne FCR not only for the radar families of AN/APQ-120, but also a standard for all other airborne radars to follow: Aero 13 FCR was designed as an integrated cylindrical module that could be plugged into the nose of an aircraft, instead of a set of semi-independent black boxes.[1]
Aero 1A
Aero 13 did not have any capability for semi-active radar homing (SARH) air-to-air missile (AAM)s. 1A FCR was developed to add this capability by incorporating a continuous wave illuminator for SARH AAMs. This configuration of Aero 1A remained unchanged for later radars for F-4s all the way until AN/APQ-50.[1]
AN/APQ-35
Maintenance on an APQ-35 radar of a F3D-2 in Korea, 1953
The next radar to be installed on F-4 prototypes and pre-production series was AN/APQ-35, which was actually consisted of two radars: the AN/APS-21 search radar that could locate fighter-size targets at a range of 32 kilometers (20 miles), and the AN/APS-26 targeting radar, with a range of 3.2 kilometers (2 miles).[2]
AN/APQ-36
AN/APQ-36 is the improvement over earlier AN/APQ-35, and when AN/APQ-36 entered service on Douglas F3D Skyknight and Vought F7U Cutlass, it was the largest airborne FCR of its time. The more powerful AN/APQ-36 with large size did not have any problem being installed on F-4 prototypes, so that more powerful FCR of larger size would be developed.[3]
AN/APQ-41
The AN/APQ-41 was an improvement over the AN/APQ-36, and was designed to provide air intercept, search, to automatically track a selected target, and to supply lead angle and range information. Facilities were also provided for air-to-surface search, for beacon interrogation and response display, and for response display when used in connection with identification friend or foe (IFF). Specifications:[4]
Search or Gun-Aim Range: 24nm max, 200 yd min
Ground Mapping Range: 100nm
Beacon Range: 200nm
Reliable Gun-Aim Prediction: 2,000 yd max
Tracking Accuracy: 25 yd within the ranges of 200 and 2,000 yd
Future Range Accuracy: 25 yd
Azimuth (Search): 106.5 deg
Elevation (Search): 13 deg (within 30 deg of aircraft center line)
Azimuth (Track): 116.5 deg
Elevation (Track): 116.5 deg
Accuracy (Search and Track): 4% all indications
Type of Presentation:
B-scope (Search)-Target azimuth and range, range strobe, range markers, beacon and IFF responses
C-scope (Search)-Target strobe, targets, straddled by range strobe, artificial horizon line, scan pattern
C-scope (Track)-Target dot, range rate circle and dot, artificial horizon line
Fixed Range Marker: 25-mi markers on 100 and 200-mi scales
Radar Frequency (Search and Track): 9375 30 mc
Beacon Frequency: Transmitting, 9375 30 mc; receiving, 9310 1 mc
Operating Temperature:-55 to +55 deg C
Altitude Limit: 52,000ft
AN/APQ-46
AN/APQ-46 is the last radar tested and evaluated on F-4 prototypes and pre-production series. F-4 equipped with this radar was specifically modified to meet US Navy Ferret electronic countermeasure aircraft requirement, which eventually did not materialize.[1]
AN/APQ-50 is the radar installed on low-rate initial production batch of F-4s, but as with earlier radars, it was not used in great numbers in comparison to later radars of the same family. The parabolic antenna is 24 inches in diameter, and in addition to providing all weather capability, AN/APQ-50 FCR also provides information on automatic firing of rockets.[5]
AN/APQ-72
AN/APQ-72 FCR is a development of AN/APQ-50, with the diameter of the antenna increased by a third to 32 inches from the original 24 inches of AN/APQ-50. AN/APA-128 CW illuminator is integrated with the radar to give it a capability for radar guided AAMs. AN/APQ-72 is the first radar installed on F-4s to be built in great numbers, starting with the 19th F-4 produced.[5]
AN/APG-59
AN/APG-59 FCR is a modified AN/APQ-72 designed for the British. The main difference between AN/APG-59 and its predecessor is that the radar dish could be swung sideways in order to reduce the length of the aircraft to 54 feet so that it could fit on the small deck lifts of British carriers. Used in the AN/AWG-10.[6]
AN/APQ-100
AN/APQ-100 is the replacement for the AN/APQ-72, and it featured a redesigned radar scope in the rear cockpit that offered a plan position indicator (PPI) mapping display option, and adjustable range strobe for bombing. For air-to-ground missions, the radar interfaced with the inertial platform on F-4s.[7]
AN/APG-60
Modified AN/APQ-100 for the British to replace the AN/APG-59. As with AN/APG-59, AN/APG-60 also had a radar dish which could be swung sideways in order to reduce the length of the aircraft to 54 feet so that it could fit on the small deck lifts of British carriers. AN/APG-60 was later upgraded with Doppler capability during its upgrades, and integrated in the AN/AWG-11.[1]
AN/APQ-109
AN/APQ-109 is an improvement of the earlier AN/APQ-100 with an improved cockpit display able to handle TV imagery from weapons such as AGM-62 Walleye. Other significant additions included air-to-ground ranging, ground beacon identification and display capabilities. AN/APQ-109 was an improved, more reliable "hybrid" version of the AN/APQ-100 with solid-state components in the low-voltage sections.[7]
AN/APG-61
Modified AN/APQ-109 for the British to replace AN/APG-60. As with AN/APG-59/60, AN/APG-61 also had a radar dish which could be swung sideways in order to reduce the length of the aircraft to 54 feet so that it could fit on the small deck lifts of British carriers. Used in the AN/AWG-12.[1]
AN/APQ-117
AN/APQ-117 terrain following and attack radar, developed from earlier AN/APQ-109, with terrain following capability added.[8]
AN/APQ-120
A fully solid-state radar developed from AN/APQ-117, the AN/APQ-120 radar was much more compact than its predecessors, allowing it to fit into the nose along with the cannon, and the radar was later integrated into AN/AWG-14.[7]
AN/AWG stands for (A) Piloted Aircraft (W) Armament (G) Fire Control. AN/APG-59 was the first FCR integrated into AN/AWG-10, which developed into two more versions, A and B. The original AN/AWG-10 can detect an aerial target with 5 square meters radar cross section more than 100 kilometers away.
AN/AWG-10A is a development of the original AN/AWG-10, with great improvement in reliability and maintainability by replacing the original transmitter in AN/AWG-10 with a solid state unit whose only tube was a klystron power amplifier. Adding a digital computer allowed much more effective missile launch equations. AN/AWG-10A also incorporated a new servoed optical sight. There were also additions of new modes such as continuously displayed impact point mode, freeze displayed impact mode, and computer released visual mode. AN/AWG-10B was further digitized version of AN/AWG-10/10A but retained many analog circuits. A key AVC (avionics change) was the replacement of the unreliable Doppler Spectrum Analyzer (DSA) with a reliable Digital Spectrum Processor (DSP) which also increased accuracy when operating in doppler mode.[9]
AN/AWG-11
AN/AWG-11 was a British AN/AWG-10 license-built by Ferranti. The radar used was AN/APG-60, and AN/AWG-11 is a slightly modified AN/AWG-10 in that it is compatible with AGM-12 Bullpup and WE.177, so that British F-4s can perform nuclear strike missions if required.[10]
AN/AWG-12
AN/AWG-12 was an improved AN/AWG-11 built by Ferranti with AN/APG-61 FCR. The main difference between AN/AWG-11 and AN/AWG-12 is that the latter has a better ground mapping mode, and it also can control a belly mounted SUU-23/A Vulcan. AN/AWG-12 finally retired in 1992 when the last F-4s in British service retired, and during its service life, it was upgraded with improvements of the AN/AWG-10A/B.[10]
AN/AWG-14
AN/AWG-14 is the final member of the lineage of this radar family, and it is a fully digitized upgrade of the AWG series[11] incorporating AN/APQ-120. The open architecture and modular design enable AWG-14 to accommodate different radars, such as AN/APG-65, AN/APG-66, AN/APG-76, Elta EL/M-2011/2021 and EL/M-2032.
The AIM-54 Phoenix is an American radar-guided, long-range air-to-air missile (AAM), carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, its only operational launch platform.
The Douglas F6D Missileer was a proposed carrier-based fleet defense fighter designed by Douglas Aircraft Company in response to a 1959 United States Navy requirement. It was designed to be able to loiter for extended periods at a relatively long distance from the Navy's aircraft carriers, engaging hostile aircraft 100 miles (160 km) away with its powerful radar and long-range missiles. Since the enemy would be fired on long before they reached visual range, the aircraft had little dogfighting capability and was strictly subsonic. When doubts were expressed about the Missileer's ability to defend itself after firing its missiles, the value of the project was questioned, leading to its cancellation. Some of the Missileer's systems, primarily the engines, radar, and missiles, continued development in spite of the cancellation, eventually emerging on the ill-fated General Dynamics–Grumman F-111B and successful Grumman F-14 Tomcat years later.
A fire-control radar (FCR) is a radar that is designed specifically to provide information to a fire-control system in order to direct weapons such that they hit a target. They are sometimes known as narrow beam radars, targeting radars, tracking radars, or in the UK, gun-laying radars. If the radar is used to guide a missile, it is often known as a target illuminator or illuminator radar.
The AN/APG-66 radar is a solid state medium range pulse-Doppler planar array radar originally designed by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation for use in early generations of the F-16 Fighting Falcon; later variants use the AN/APG-68 or the AN/APG-83. This radar was employed in all domestic and export versions of the F-16 A/B models throughout the production. Subsequent upgrades have been installed in many varying aircraft types, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's C-550 Cessna Citation, US Navy P-3 Orion, and Piper PA-42 Cheyenne II's, as well as the Small Aerostat Surveillance System (SASS). Primary air-combat mode is look-down. In that mode, the AN/APG-66 can detect a fighter-size plane at a range of 34.5 Nautical miles. Four modes are available in air-to-air combat. In dogfight mode, the radar scans a 20 degrees x 20 degrees field. In high-g maneuvers, it scans a 40 degrees x10 degrees pattern. The radar system consists of the following line-replaceable units:
The AN/APG-63 and AN/APG-70 are a family of all-weather multimode radar systems designed by Hughes Aircraft for the F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter. These X band pulse-Doppler radar systems are designed for both air-air and air-ground missions; they are able to look up at high-flying targets and down at low-flying targets without being confused by ground clutter. The systems can detect and track aircraft and small high-speed targets at distances beyond visual range down to close range, and at altitudes down to treetop level. The radar feeds target information into the aircraft's central computer for effective weapons delivery. For close-in dogfights, the radar automatically acquires enemy aircraft and projects this information onto the cockpit head-up display. The name is assigned from the Army Navy Joint Electronics Type Designation System.
The AN/APG-65 and AN/APG-73 are designations for a family of all-weather multimode airborne radar systems designed by Hughes Aircraft for the F/A-18 Hornet, and used on a variety of fighter aircraft types. The APG-79 is an upgraded AESA version.
The AN/APG-68 radar is a long range Pulse-doppler radar designed by Westinghouse to replace AN/APG-66 radar in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. After years of Service, AN/APG-68 radar currently being replaced on US Air Force F-16C/D Block 40/42 and 50/52 by the latest generation AN/APG-83 AESA radar.
The AN/AWG-9 and AN/APG-71 radars are all-weather, multi-mode X band pulse-Doppler radar systems used in the F-14 Tomcat, and also tested on TA-3B. It is a long-range air-to-air system capable of guiding several AIM-54 Phoenix or AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles simultaneously, using its track while scan mode. The AWG-9 utilizes an analog computer while the APG-71 is an upgraded variant utilizing a digital computer. Both the AWG-9 and APG-71 were designed and manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Company's Radar Systems Group in Los Angeles; contractor support was later assumed by Raytheon. The AWG-9 was originally created for the canceled Navy F-111B program.
AN/APQ-116 is one of the most numerous terrain-following radars (TFRs) produced in the world, and with over 500 units built, it was a member of a family of TFRs consisted of nearly two dozen models, all of which are based on the same general design principle. First developed by Texas Instruments, and later produced by Raytheon when the latter purchased the radar business of the former.
The AN/APG-76 radar is a pulse Doppler Ku band multi-mode radar developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman.
The JL-10A airborne radar is a highly digitized pulse-Doppler radar with slotted planar array developed for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) as a replacement for the older Type 232H radar currently employed by the Chinese air force. The radar is built to MIL-STD-1553 standard so it is compatible with western electronics and weaponry. Originally, the radar is capable of simultaneously tracking 10 targets and engaging 2 of the 10 tracked when using semi-active radar homing air-to-air missiles, or 4 of the 10 tracked when using active radar homing air-to-air missiles.
F-4 Phantom II non-U.S. operators are the non-U.S. nations with air forces that operate or used to operate the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The Phantom II entered service with the U.S. military in 1960 and served until 1996. During this time it was the primary interceptor, air superiority fighter and fighter bomber with the U.S. Navy, Marines and Air Force.
The Emerson Electric AN/APQ-159 was an I band/J band radar designed to upgrade Emerson's simple AN/APQ-153 used in the Northrop F-5. It offered roughly double the range, increased off-boresight tracking angles, and considerably improved reliability. Originally intended to be replaced by the further improved AN/APQ-167, modernized F-5s have typically moved to the entirely new AN/APG-69 instead.
Emerson Electric's AN/APG-69 is an X band coherent pulse doppler radar originally designed for the F-20 Tigershark aircraft. It is the successor to the AN/APQ-159. Northrop skipped over the APG-69 for the F-20, choosing the General Electric AN/APG-67 instead. The APG-69 was still used by other F-5 operators, and other light fighter projects, including the ALR Piranha.
The AN/APG-67 is a multi-mode all-digital X band coherent pulse doppler radar originally developed by General Electric for the Northrop F-20 Tigershark program of the early 1980s. It offers a variety of air-to-air, air-to-ground, sea-search and mapping modes, and compatibility with most weapons used by the US Air Force in the 1980s.
The RDM (Radar Doppler Multifunction), also known as the Cyrano 5, is a French multimode pulse-Doppler radar developed by Thomson-CSF (now Thales) for export variants and early French models of the Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft. It is an evolution of the Cyrano IV installed on the Mirage F-1 and in turn was developed into the RDI (Radar Doppler à Impulsions), a specialist air-to-air radar for French Mirage 2000 interceptors, and the multimode RDY (Radar Doppler Multitarget), which could track more targets at a time and added further air-to-ground modes.
Airborne Interception radar, or AI for short, is the British term for radar systems used to equip aircraft in air-to-air role. These radars are used primarily by Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm night fighters and interceptors for locating and tracking other aircraft, although most AI radars could also be used in a number of secondary roles as well. The term was sometimes used generically for similar radars used in other countries.
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