Brochure - Northrop Grumman Corporation

User-friendly operator controls
The AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703 provide
two operator control stations with
liquid-crystal flat-panel displays. The
radars can also be operated by remote
control, permitting unattended operation.
The operator control stations provide
the control menus, the airspace
surveillance picture, Built-in Test/Fault
Isolation Test (BIT/FIT) information
and electronic manuals. An onboard
GPS automatically selects the local
area map from the built-in worldwide
map coverage.
Command and control operations can be
performed within the shelter or remotely
from a network command center.
Extended operability
Solid-state transmitters combine the
outputs of many ultra-high reliability
solid-state modules. These modules are
inserted into identical, interchangeable
power panels. Full radar coverage does
not require all of the solid-state modules
to be operating at once. Sufficient
margin is provided in the transmitter
such that advertised performance can
easily be maintained, even with the normal
rate of failing transistors, until the
next scheduled maintenance interval.
This ‘“Fail Soft” design eliminates the
need for immediate repair of transmitter
hardware.
Additionally, the AN/TPS-78 and the
TPS-703 do not require transmit/receive
(T/R) modules on the rotating antenna.
Thus there is no risk of holes in
the radar coverage pattern due to failed
T/R modules. Because there are no active
radiating antennas, the systems are
not as vulnerable to infrared-guided
weapons, and there is no need to stop
operations to replace failed T/R modules,
giving both systems extended operability.
Technological and design
enhancements
Solid-state transmitters for both the AN/
TPS-78 and TPS-703 include the latest
in Northrop Grumman’s technological
enhancements, including use of highefficiency
silicon germanium power
transistors, which provide higher transmitter
reliability in a more compact design.
The growth in the system bandwidth
from 200 to 300 MHz relative to
previous generations of radars provides
for increased Electromagnetic Counter
Countermeasures (ECCM) performance.
Both systems have complete
range and elevation Doppler coverage
for target detection in ground, weather
and chaff clutter.
GPS time synchronization supports
network-centric radar operation, allowing
for more sophisticated target
tracking capability among collaborating
radar systems. System electronics,
including the transmitter, are contained
in the environmentally controlled shelter,
both for ease of maintenance and
for protection of the electronics.
Unrivaled Mobility
S-Band provides compact
system size
S-Band technology provides longrange
performance in the AN/TPS-78
and TPS-703, while also resulting in a
significantly smaller antenna and shelter
volume. All electronics including
the transmitter are packaged in a single
14-foot (4.3 m) International Organization
for Standardization (ISO) shelter,
among the smallest manned shelters
in use. The AN/TPS-78 and the TPS-
2
703 can each be transported in a single
C-130 aircraft. They can also be transported
locally via helicopter or by a
single truck with a mobilizer.
An integrated Identification Friend or
Foe (IFF) antenna in the main antenna
assembly eliminates the need for a separate
IFF antenna alignment, thereby
minimizing system setup time. The
antenna also has a built-in inertial measurement
unit for fast leveling. With
no special tools or equipment required,
it takes a four-person team less than 30
minutes to set up or disassemble either
the long-range AN/TPS-78 or the midrange
TPS-703. These radar systems
can be moved faster than adversaries
can target them.
The antenna ISO pallet can be transported
and deployed on a standard 5-ton truck.
The ISO shelter is 14 feet and 33 percent
shorter than other radars in its class.
The entire radar suite (generator, spares,
shelter and antenna) can be transported
on a single C-130 load.