Northrop Grumman has delivered the first AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) that incorporates advanced high power and high efficiency gallium nitride (GaN) antenna technology to the US Marine Corps (USMC), the company announced on 26 July.

The system is the seventh G/ATOR system delivered in the low rate initial production (LRIP) phase of the programme. All subsequent G/ATOR LRIP and full rate production systems will now incorporate this advanced GaN technology.

GaN technology provides cost savings and multiple performance benefits including enhanced system sensitivity and increased reliability. The AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR is an advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) multi-mission radar that provides comprehensive real time, 360° situational awareness against a wide range of threats including fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, UAS and rockets, artillery and mortar.

The system can be deployed rapidly worldwide to meet the USMC needs and includes the latest cyber and digital beam forming technology that enables the radar to perform multi-mission tasks.

Delivery of the first GaN G/ATOR system follows the delivery of six LRIP systems to the Marines that began in early 2017. Utilising two of those six systems, the USMC achieved G/ATOR initial operational capability (IOC) of the air surveillance mission in February 2018.

The remaining four systems will establish IOC for the counter-battery mission later in 2018. The full rate production programme is scheduled to begin in early 2019.

Roshan Roeder, VP, land and avionics C4ISR division, Northrop Grumman, said: ‘The Marine Corps are the first to take delivery of a production ground based multi mission AESA radar that incorporates this advanced GaN technology.’

Additionally, given the AN/TPS-80’s open architecture design, Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract through the Office of Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office in 2016 to support the addition of a fire control mission.