AN/TPY-2 BMD radar's Antenna Equipment Unit completed by Raytheon
NewsSeptember 23, 2013
TEWKSBURY, MA. Raytheon engineers finished manufacturing an Antenna Equipment Unit (AEU) for the AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar. The AN/TPY-2 searches, discriminates between threats and non-threats then acquires and tracks threat ballistic missiles as part of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).
The mobile X-band radar helps protect warfighters, the U.S., and it's allies and security partners from the more than 6,300 ballistic missiles that Missile Defense Agency (MDA) officials estimate are not controlled by the U.S., NATO, China, or Russia. The AN/TPY-2 radar provides long-range acquisition, precision track, and discrimination of short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. AEU represents one of the four major components that make up the AN/TPY-2 radar. Raytheon is expected to deliver the ninth radar system to the MDA by early next year.
The AN/TPY-2 may be deployed worldwide in either a terminal or forward-based mode. In terminal mode, the radar serves as the search, detect, track, discrimination, and fire-control radar for the THAAD weapon system, thus enabling the THAAD missile to intercept and destroy threats. In forward-based mode, it cues the BMDS by detecting, discriminating, and then tracking enemy ballistic missiles in their ascent phase.
