MPQ-64
Operated by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps, the AN/MPQ-84 Sentinel is an air defense search radar, and is capable of detecting cruise missiles, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) as well as fixed-wing threats. Made by Raytheon, it is truck-towed or lifted by helicopter, and can be set up in 15 minutes and made ready for movement in 5 minutes. [1] It routinely provides warning to FIM-92 Stinger and MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile units.
Technical
A pulse-doppler system operating in the X-band.While phased array radars frequently do not rotate or elevate, the MPQ-84 does move on its mount, giving it the capability of not only covering 360 degrees of azimuth, but targets with a relative elevation of –10º to +55º, with a 75 km range. This geometry lets it detect targets below the coverage of air control traffic radar.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag Among these systems are the Army FAAD (Forward Area Air Defense) Command and Control system, which interconnects missile launchers, ground and airborne radar (including the E-3 Sentry) and command centers. [2]
Deployments
Besides being deployed worldwide with Army and Marine troops, AN/MPQ-84s protected the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia and the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. In Atlanta alone, from strategic locations around the Olympic event venues and Village, the Sentinels detected more than 40 airspace violations.[3]
References
- ↑ "AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel Air Defense radar", Defense Update (no. 2), 2004
- ↑ Cothran, Julian (November-December 1995), "Growing the Army's FAAD Weapon Systems into Maturity: An Applied Success Story...or was it?", Program Manager pp. 20-25
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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