Northrop, USMC complete IIE for G/ATOR
Northrop Grumman and the US Marine Corps successfully completed an initial integration event (IIE) in November 2016 for the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) system, the company announced on 23 February.
The IIE demonstrated G/ATOR’s ground weapon locating radar (GWLR) mode’s ability to detect and track multiple types of rocket, artillery and mortar (RAM) rounds simultaneously. More than 40 different weapon scenarios were evaluated and over 700 live shots were fired, including a variety of RAM rounds.
GWLR successfully tracked projectiles including volley fire - multiple RAM projectiles intentionally fired in very rapid sequence - between 6km and 50km, demonstrating G/ATOR’s long range capability.
Roshan Roeder, vice president, mission solutions, Northrop Grumman, said: ‘GWLR mode detects and tracks time-critical incoming threats, calculates an approximate impact point, and then tracks the threat’s trajectory back in time to estimate a firing position, allowing counter fire forces to engage rapidly.
‘The volley fire capability that G/ATOR demonstrated is critical on the modern battlefield, and all of the data collected during IIE indicates that GWLR can exceed the US Marine Corps’ range capability.’
The AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR system is designed for short-range air defence, tactical air operations control, counter-fire target acquisition and future air traffic control. GWLR mode adds software to the G/ATOR system to detect, track and identify RAM projectiles, both 360-degree and sector-only.
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