US Space Force increases efforts to plug training capabilities gaps
The service has been seeking simulation and emulation solutions capable of reproducing multiple in-orbit threats.
Raytheon has announced that it has delivered a new AN/TPY-2 radar to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in support of the US combatant commands. This is the 8th AN/TPY-2 radar delivered by the company, which forms an integral capability of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).
AN/TPY-2 is a mobile, X-band phased-array radar that searches for, acquires, and tracks threat ballistic missiles and discriminates between threats and non-threats. The high resolution, rapidly deployable radar helps protect the US, deployed forces, and US allies against all classes of ballistic missiles, from short-range ballistic missiles to intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Dave Gulla, vice president of Global Integrated Sensors in Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business, said: ‘Delivering the vital AN/TPY-2 helps meet the growing demand for radars that can help defend the US and its allies from the more than 5,500 ballistic missiles MDA estimates are not controlled by the US, NATO, Russia or China. The AN/TPY-2 has proven itself an indispensable component of our nation's ballistic missile defence and has performed flawlessly in every test to date against every category of ballistic missile, and in raid scenarios.’
The AN/TPY-2 radar Raytheon delivered will serve in terminal mode as the fire control radar for the US Army's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defence system. Other forward-based AN/TPY-2's that are deployed around the globe cue the BMDS by detecting, tracking and discriminating enemy ballistic missiles in the ascent phase of flight.
The service has been seeking simulation and emulation solutions capable of reproducing multiple in-orbit threats.
The service has been conducting several acquisition and upgrading efforts involving artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve communication, data analysis and ISR systems.
The Syracuse 4B communications satellite, developed by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, was launched last year, bolstering secure military satellite communications for the French Armed Forces. Thales has now been selected to provide terminals for vehicles.
The growing importance of space in modern warfare, advancements in satellite technology, and increasing threats from rivals like China and Russia were among the topics of a Eurosatory 2024 panel on military space operations.
AN/ARC-232A is a Starfire radio that provides VHF/UHF communications to airborne platforms and the transceiver is software-programmable, allowing for multiple waveform support as well as optional national electronic counter counter-measure (ECCM) capability.
During the 18-month period of the contract, Lockheed Martin will apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to create surrogate models of aircraft, sensors, electronic warfare and weapons within dynamic and operationally representative environments.