AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR AESA radar to get additional ground capability from Northrop Grumman
NewsOctober 13, 2015
WASHINGTON. Northrop Grumman won a Marine Corps contract $58,706,242 million to develop and test the Ground Weapon Locating Radar (GWLR) mode for the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR).
The GWLR mode is a software update that adds mission capability to the ground-based multi-mission Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar developed by the Department of Defense (DOD). G/ATOR will deploy for four principal missions using the same hardware. When all modes are fully implemented, Marine Corps operators will then have a common hardware solution that enables switching between air surveillance, air defense, ground weapon locating, and air traffic control through software.
"Using an open architecture approach, we're bringing together the best of technology and design experience from ground and airborne applications to create a system that seamlessly facilitates capability upgrades and the insertion of emerging technologies," says Roshan Roeder, Director, Ground Based Tactical Radars, Land and Self Protection Systems Division, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems.
The GWLR mode allows G/ATOR to detect and track time-critical incoming threats, such as rockets, mortars, and artillery rounds. Once the radar has detected incoming threats, the system rapidly analyzes their ballistic trajectories and computes their impact points which enables rapid and accurate threat engagement by counterfire forces.
Over the past several years, Northrop Grumman engineers have used a surrogate AESA radar to validate GWLR algorithms and associated software at multiple DoD test venues and events. The G/ATOR system entered low rate initial production (LRIP) last year and additional low rate initial production systems were placed under contract in early 2015. As planned, the G/ATOR program is incrementally integrating additional mission capabilities via software updates.
