USMC orders nine more G/ATORs
Northrop Grumman has received an order from the US Marine Corps (USMC) for another nine AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) low rate initial production (LRIP) systems, the company announced on 6 September.
The systems incorporate advanced Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology, which offers performance benefits including higher output power, higher efficiency and lower input power needs. Higher output power can increase threat detection and tracking ranges for all four G/ATOR mission capabilities: weapon cueing, air surveillance, air traffic control and counter-fire target acquisition.
Northrop Grumman already has a contract to provide six G/ATOR LRIP systems, the first of which will be delivered in February 2017.
Roshan Roeder, director, mission solutions, Northrop Grumman, said: 'There are no other GaN ground-based active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars in production today. G/ATOR is the first DoD ground-based AESA system to incorporate GaN in a production programme.
'We proposed this technology as a cost savings measure for the government and funded risk reduction internally to ensure a seamless insertion into the G/ATOR system. We are continuing to look at future technology insertions to continue providing the best capability out there to our warfighters at an affordable cost.'
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