Sea-Based X-Band Radar getting repairs, upgrades after long deployment: report
NewsMarch 06, 2023
HONOLULU, Hawaii. The Missile Defense Agency's Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX-1) has finished a record-long 662-day-long voyage in the Pacific Ocean and is now in Hawaii to get repairs and upgrades, according to a recent report.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that the 280-foot-tall radar, which is installed on the top of a converted oil rig, has been criticized for its narrow field of vision, but an MDA official says that it is being continually upgraded to handle current threats.
The SBX-1 requires a crew of 72 personnel who rotate on and off every nine weeks. It is mostly made up of contractors from companies such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman, the report states. SBX-1 is part of a missile defense system that includes satellites and radars scattered across the globe to track missiles in the Pacific region.
