AN/TPQ-53 radar tracks UAS

The AN/TPQ-53 counter-fire radar has demonstrated its ability to identify and track UAS and pass that information to a command and control (C2) node, providing both air surveillance and counter fire target acquisition, Lockheed Martin announced on 27 June.

The demonstration was carried out as part of the US Army’s Maneuver and Fires Integration Experiment (MFIX) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

The ability for radar to track UAS and pass off information to C2 is a key capability as the battlespace becomes more crowded with aerial threats.

The AN/TPQ-53 radar identified and tracked several UAS and provided data to Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control. At the same time the radar carried out its original mission, providing accurate targeting data on rockets, artillery and mortars, providing a multi-mission radar (MMR) capability.

The Q-53 is a solid-state phased array radar system designed to detect, classify, track and determine the location of enemy indirect fire in either 360- or 90-degree modes.

Rick Herodes, Q-53 program director, Lockheed Martin, said: ‘The demonstration showed that the Q-53 radar can provide soldiers in combat real time awareness of air threats. The inherent flexibility of the Q-53’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) hardware architecture allows us to constantly evolve the Q-53’s software to deal with emerging threats. This demonstration provided further verification that the Q-53 enables the warfighter to stay ahead of changing global threats.’