AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703

Solid-State Tactical Mobile Radar Systems

Proven Design for Performance, Survivability and Reliability

Northrop Grumman –
Leading Supplier of High
Performance Radars for
Over 60 years
Having produced more than 300 high
performance solid-state radar systems,
and with more than 900 ground-based
radars currently in use worldwide,
Northrop Grumman is the undis-
puted world leader in solid-state radar
technology. Northrop Grumman has
long had the reputation of providing
extremely reliable, survivable and
modular solid-state radar systems. The
AN/TPS-78 and the TPS-703 are the
latest generation of state-of-the-art The AN/TPS-78 is fielded and operationally proven by the United States Air Force and
customers worldwide.
radars made possible by the techno-
logical advances in high power transis- while simultaneously detecting low- integral tracker to the processing archi-
tor design. Fielded and operationally altitude targets in heavy ground and tecture provides optimum performance
proven by the United States Air Force sea clutter. These systems can perform in target tracking, as well as elimina-
and customers worldwide, the S-Band both Air Traffic Control (ATC) and air tion of any remaining clutter residue.
long-range AN/TPS-78 and the mid- defense missions, since they track both
range TPS-703 are in 24-hour-a-day commercial targets and high-speed ma-
operation around the world. neuverable military aircraft. For the
TPS-703, a maritime tracker that is in-
Superior Architecture and dependent of the air target tracker can
also be provided, and is optimized to
Technology follow slow-moving maritime targets
Full coverage detection in heavy sea clutter.
and tracking
Unlike many systems that still use sin- The AN/TPS-78 and the TPS-703 can-
cel clutter from heavy ground returns, The TPS-703 air and surface trackers were
gle pencil beam architecture, the AN/ tested and demonstrated at Naval Air
TPS-78 and the TPS-703 employ a and rain/chaff through the use of Mov- Warfare Center, Weapon Division Test
ing Target Indicator (MTI) and Mov- Range, Pt. Mugu, California.
stacked beam that provides full-time,
full-volume coverage of all targets. ing Target Detection (MTD) process-
Both radars detect high-altitude targets ing. The tight matching of the radar’s
Stacked Beam Pencil Beam

The AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703 full time stacked beams are simultaneously processed providing superior detection and suppression
of chaff, rain and ground clutter. Single pencil beam systems do not have this advantage.

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 the radar coverage pattern due to failed 703 can each be transported in a single
User-friendly operator controls T/R modules. Because there are no ac- C-130 aircraft. They can also be trans-
The AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703 pro- ported locally via helicopter or by a
tive radiating antennas, the systems are
vide two operator control stations with single truck with a mobilizer.
not as vulnerable to infrared-guided
liquid-crystal flat-panel displays. The
weapons, and there is no need to stop
radars can also be operated by remote An integrated Identification Friend or
operations to replace failed T/R mod-
control, permitting unattended opera- Foe (IFF) antenna in the main antenna
ules, giving both systems extended op-
tion. The operator control stations pro- assembly eliminates the need for a sep-
erability.
vide the control menus, the airspace arate IFF antenna alignment, thereby
surveillance picture, Built-in Test/Fault minimizing system setup time. The
Isolation Test (BIT/FIT) information Technological and design antenna also has a built-in inertial mea-
and electronic manuals. An onboard enhancements surement unit for fast leveling. With
Solid-state transmitters for both the AN/ no special tools or equipment required,
GPS automatically selects the local
TPS-78 and TPS-703 include the latest it takes a four-person team less than 30
area map from the built-in worldwide
in Northrop Grumman’s technological minutes to set up or disassemble either
map coverage. the long-range AN/TPS-78 or the mid-
enhancements, including use of high-
efficiency silicon germanium power range TPS-703. These radar systems
transistors, which provide higher trans- can be moved faster than adversaries
mitter reliability in a more compact de- can target them.
sign. The growth in the system band-
width from 200 to 300 MHz relative to
previous generations of radars provides
for increased Electromagnetic Coun-
ter Countermeasures (ECCM) perfor-
mance. Both systems have complete
range and elevation Doppler coverage
Command and control operations can be
for target detection in ground, weather
performed within the shelter or remotely and chaff clutter.
from a network command center.
GPS time synchronization supports
network-centric radar operation, al- The antenna ISO pallet can be transported
and deployed on a standard 5-ton truck.
Extended operability lowing for more sophisticated target
Solid-state transmitters combine the tracking capability among collaborat-
outputs of many ultra-high reliability ing radar systems. System electronics,
including the transmitter, are contained
solid-state modules. These modules are
in the environmentally controlled shel-
inserted into identical, interchangeable
ter, both for ease of maintenance and
power panels. Full radar coverage does for protection of the electronics.
not require all of the solid-state mod-
ules to be operating at once. Sufficient
margin is provided in the transmitter Unrivaled Mobility
such that advertised performance can S-Band provides compact
easily be maintained, even with the nor- system size
mal rate of failing transistors, until the S-Band technology provides long- The ISO shelter is 14 feet and 33 percent
shorter than other radars in its class.
next scheduled maintenance interval. range performance in the AN/TPS-78
This ‘“Fail Soft” design eliminates the and TPS-703, while also resulting in a
need for immediate repair of transmit- significantly smaller antenna and shel-
ter hardware. ter volume. All electronics including
the transmitter are packaged in a single
Additionally, the AN/TPS-78 and the 14-foot (4.3 m) International Organiza-
TPS-703 do not require transmit/re- tion for Standardization (ISO) shelter,
among the smallest manned shelters The entire radar suite (generator, spares,
ceive (T/R) modules on the rotating an- shelter and antenna) can be transported
tenna. Thus there is no risk of holes in in use. The AN/TPS-78 and the TPS- on a single C-130 load.

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Extensive ECCM Features
With a significantly lower weight and
smaller size than the rest of their class, Highly Reliable and
The S-Band AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703 the AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703 are the Maintainable System
radars employ numerous advanced best options when dealing with chal- Integrated redundancy and
techniques to limit susceptibility to lenging conditions. The radars can be
jamming. In a wartime mode, both ra- quickly transported to different loca-
fault tolerant design
dars operate in a frequency agile mode, The radars offer a mean time between
tions as needed.
dynamically selecting the least jammed critical failure rate (MTBCF) of over
2,000 hours, greatly increasing the
frequency in the 300 MHz operating
band. The operator can also select a
Low-Cost Logistic time between required maintenance ac-
fixed frequency for a peacetime mode Supportability tions. This excellent system availabil-
to maintain bandwidth capability secu- Modular design reduces ity is achieved through a combination
of numerous factors. Redundancy in-
rity. The low-sidelobe antenna will fil- sparing requirements tegrated throughout the systems allows
ter out most sidelobe jamming before it The modular design in the AN/TPS-78
enters the radar system. automatic reconfiguration after a fault
and TPS-703 systems reduce the num-
Rank-ordered Constant False Alarm condition, preserving full operational
ber of transmitter Line Replaceable
Rate (CFAR) is used to prevent false capability. Additionally, the design
Unit (LRU) types by 80 percent from
alarms from the small amount of resid- margin in the solid-state transmitter
previous radar designs. The entire trans-
ual interference that makes it through permits fault-tolerant operation meet-
mitter requires only nine different LRU
the low-sidelobe antenna. The rank- ing specified performance. Module re-
types, including fully interchangeable
ordered CFAR eliminates false alarms placement can be done at any time or
pre-amps, power panels, and radio fre-
with a minimum loss of detectability during planned preventive maintenance
quency panel power amplifier modules.
while providing resolution of closely intervals. Moreover, the environmen-
The programmable processing archi-
spaced targets. Detection of small tar- tally controlled shelter maintains many
tecture of the AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703
gets in weather and chaff is ensured by of the electronics in a benign operating
reduce the number of processor LRU
the stacked beam architecture, which environment, significantly increasing
types by 90 percent, with only two ba-
provides the required multiple returns hardware reliability.
sic circuit card styles needed for the
on each target for Doppler processing signal and data processor suite.
and impulse interference rejection.
The narrow beam widths of the S- Leveraging system commonality
Band antenna reduce the amount of Designing the AN/TPS-78 and the
clutter competing with the targets, TPS-703 from the same system archi-
which helps target detection in clutter. tecture assures that their respective
mission requirements can be met with
Survivability a high degree of operational, training
The AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703 radars and logistic commonality. This pro-
are designed and proven to operate vides maximum returns on acquisition
in some of the world’s harshest, most as well as operation and maintenance
unforgiving environments. This out- (O&M) investments. There is a greater
standing survivability is achieved by than 90 percent commonality of major Maintenance is easily performed in an
combining unsurpassed mobility, un- subsystems and LRUs between the AN/ environmentally controlled shelter interior.
matched sidelobe levels and innovative TPS-78 and TPS-703.
“cool” antenna technology.
The two radars also offer more than 90 Automated setup and
Anti Radiation Missiles (ARM) use percent software commonality, so that unattended operation
sidelobe technology to lock onto sen- software maintenance, modification After initial system setup, full perfor-
sors, but the low-sidelobe antenna helps and documentation costs are signifi- mance is maintained through the use
further protect from such attacks. There cantly below those of competing sys- of automatic calibration and Automatic
are no active radiating elements on the tems. Gain Control (AGC) functions, elimi-
antenna, which provides a “cool” array nating the need for subsequent operator
The software is hosted on open-archi- actions. Automatic calibration enables
to shield from the attacks of heat-seek-
tecture signal and data processors, en- full performance to be continued dur-
ing missiles.
abling cost-effective future upgrades. ing unattended operation.

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Electronic manuals support 100 percent BIT/FIT
The fully automated BIT/FIT in the radars provides fault detection and isolation for every module throughout the system.
BIT/FIT is performed by the computerized Radar Control Unit (RCU), supported by audio and visual fault alarms.

A complete set of electronic manuals is available in the RCU, with functional and physical views of the failed LRU and
specific instructions on the appropriate repair/replacement procedure.

Radar Characteristics
Characteristic Long-Range AN/TPS-78 Mid-Range TPS-703
Instrumented Range 240 nmi (445 km) 75 nmi (140 km)
Frequency 2.8-3.1 GHz 2.8-3.1 GHz
Data Rate 10 Seconds 5 Seconds
Height Coverage 100K/500K Ft (30.5/152.4 km) 100K Ft (30.5 km)
Air Tracking Capacity 1,000 targets 750 targets
Elevation Angle 0-20° 0-40°
Moving Target Indicator (MTI) ≥50 dB Full Range ≥50 dB Full Range
Moving Target Detection (MTD) Rain/Chaff Performance Rain/Chaff Performance
MTBCF >2,000 Hrs >2,000 Hrs
Cooling Air Air
Operating Temperature -30 to +55°C -30 to +55°C
Color Displays Flat Panel (Liquid Crystal) Flat Panel (Liquid Crystal)
Shelter 1 14-Ft. (4.3 m) ISO 1 14-Ft. (4.3 m) ISO
Setup Time <30 Min/4 Men <30 Min/4 Men
Antenna Array Size 215”W x 100”H (5.5 m x 2.5 m) 215”W x 58”H (5.5 m x 1.5 m)
System Weight 18,000 lbs (8,150 kg) 17,000 lbs (7,550 kg)
Prime Power 50 kW@50 or 60 Hz 40 kW@50 or 60 Hz

AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703 Highlights

■ Superior architecture and technology ■ Extensive ECCM Features
– Stacked beam architecture–high performance Doppler processing – Frequency agility and Jamming Analysis and Transmission
simultaneously at all elevations under all conditions Selection (JATS) - least-jammed frequencies across 300 MHz
– MTI and MTD provide target detection in chaff, weather, and bandwidth
ground clutter – Low-sidelobe antenna – Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) -
– High performance integrated tracker protection and jamming elimination
– Remotely controllable for unattended operation – “Cool” antenna array – heat-seeking missile protection
– Color liquid-crystal displays with built-in worldwide map – Six independent Doppler processing beams for detection in chaff
coverage – CFAR and impulse interference rejection
– Solid state air-cooled transmitter with Silicon Germanium
technology – more efficient, reliable, and fault-tolerant
– 300 MHz bandwidth–jamming avoidance and frequency
■ Low-Cost Logistic Supportability
– High degree of commonality between long- and mid-range
management flexibility
versions–low O&M cost
– GPS time synchronization for coordinated radar-to-radar network
– Modular design for reduced number of LRU types
operation

■ Highly Reliable and Maintainable System

■ Unrivaled Mobility – MTBCF in excess of 2,000 hours
– S-Band for a more compact and mobile system
– Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs) support fully
– Complete system transported in a single C-130 aircraft
automated BIT/FIT
– Single, compact 14-foot (4.3 m) ISO shelter/pallet
– Serviceable from inside environmentally controlled shelter
– IFF antenna integrated with antenna array – requires
no alignment
– Rapid 30-minute setup

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 Northrop Grumman Ground-Based Radars: Unmatched Global Presence

Northrop Grumman: Over 60 Years of Radar Heritage

Northrop Grumman has 60 years of experience building radars of tomorrow
-- radars that are providing critical, real-time information all day, every day, in
every part of the world.

For more information, please contact:

Northrop Grumman Corporation
Electronic Systems
P.O. Box 17320, MS B545
Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7320 USA 09-BR-023-AMG
A330 documentation number: ES20090480
ES-DSEA-09-06068
Email: GroundSensors@ngc.com
© 2009 Northrop Grumman Corporation