N A V A L SONAR AND RADAR
Lockheed Martin’s AN/SPY-1 surveillance radar has sold widely around the world to customers in Norway, Spain, Japan and South Korea, along with the US Navy itself. The company is now modernising the system via the AN/SPY-1K programme © US DoD
instant velocity measurement. Moreover, the radar’s signal processing capabilities gives it good performance against stealth targets, particularly in littoral areas. SMART-L is joined by the firm’s SMART-S S-band radar which has a range of around 250 km and 70º elevation. Furthermore, the radar includes two operating modes; one for surface fire control and a second which can be used for the guidance of helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. Thales is joined by Cassidian which maintains three naval surveillance radars in production with its TRS-3D C-band radar family. The TRS-3D entered production in 1994, and this three-dimensional radar design can be used for tracking air and sea targets, fire control and helicopter guidance. Cassidian has sold the radar to the Danish, Finnish, German, Malaysian and Spanish navies. It is also supplying the TRS-3D as part of the US Coast Guard’s Deepwater programme, and for the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship initiative. Meanwhile, the Deutsche Marine (German Navy) is receiving the TRS-4D variant to equip their F-125 class of frigates. The TRS-4D employs Gallium Arsenide semiconductors and electronic beam scanning, allowing for the installation of four fixed panels onto the vessel. That said, the firm notes that the TRS-4D is also available with a rotating
antenna. Joining the TRS-4D, which commenced production in 2010, Cassidian’s new TRSS X-band radar is the latest addition to the TRS-3D family for medium-range sea and air surveillance. Like the TRS-4D, the TRSS is available with a rotating antenna or with four fixed antenna faces. Away from continental Europe, the UK’s BAE Systems enjoys a healthy performance on both side of the Atlantic. The company maintains a robust portfolio of naval surveillance radar products. Leading the pack is its’ Advanced Radar Target Indication Situational Awareness and Navigation (ARTISAN) threedimensional radar which will be installed on the Royal Navy’s forthcoming Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, and retrofitted
Thales’ SMART-S product offers an S-band surveillance radar with a 250 km and 70º elevation. The radar’s two operating modes allow it to be used for fire control and also for air traffic control functions such as helicopter guidance © Thales
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ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW
onto the force’s Type-23 frigates and amphibious support ships. The ARTISAN family includes the ARTISAN-3D Compact E/Fband radar with an instrumented range of around 200 km, a maximum elevation of 70º and the ability to track around 800 targets. Similar performance characteristics are found in the ‘vanilla’ ARTISAN radar which has a slightly heavier antenna weight of 1000 kg when including an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) antenna. Other versions of the ARTISAN include the mechanically-rotated variant weighing 1150 kg (including the IFF antenna). BAE Systems also produces the S-band SAMPSON next-generation multifunction radar optimised for the Royal Navy’s Type-45 destroyers. This radar boasts robust resistance to electronic countermeasures, and good detection of stealth targets. Along with radar, the firm is in the sonar business. On 21st December, BAE Systems won a $14 million contract to supply four AN/SQQ-32(V)4 high-frequency, wideband mine-hunting sonar systems to the US Navy. This product has been developed to replace the existing AN/SQQ-32(V)3 sonar used on the US Navy’s Avenger class mine countermeasures ships which will notably improve the US Navy’s ability to detect stealthy mines in littoral areas. Looking towards North America, ITT Corporation has an impressive pedigree as one of the United States’ leading naval radar suppliers. The company provides the 470 km range AN/SPS-48 three-dimensional S-band radar. A number of US Navy vessels use the AN/SPS 48 including the Wasp and San