Passed the Test: Q-53 Radar Demonstrates Counter-UAS Capability

Mounted on a five-ton truck, the AN/TPQ-53 radar can be rapidly deployed, automatically leveled and remotely operated with a laptop computer or from the fully equipped climate-controlled command vehicle. Photo courtesy Lockheed Martin.

SYRACUSE, N.Y., June 27, 2016 – The Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) AN/TPQ-53 counterfire radar recently demonstrated its ability to identify and track unmanned aerial systems and pass that information to a command and control node, a key capability as the battlespace rapidly becomes more crowded with emerging air threats.

“The demonstration showed that the Q-53 radar can provide soldiers in combat real time awareness of air threats,” said Rick Herodes, Q-53 program director, Lockheed Martin. “The inherent flexibility of the Q-53’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) hardware architecture allows us to constantly evolve the Q-53’s software to deal with emerging threats. This demonstration provided further verification that the Q-53 enables the warfighter to stay ahead of changing global threats.”

The demonstration was part of the U.S. Army’s Maneuver and Fires Integration Experiment (MFIX) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The annual MFIX exercise brings together military, industry and academia to assess solutions to future warfighting needs in a live environment.

In the demonstration, the Q-53 radar showed it can be readily adapted to provide both air surveillance and counter fire target acquisition in one tactical sensor. The radar identified and tracked several unmanned aerial systems and provided data to Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control. Simultaneously, the Q-53 radar performed its original mission by providing accurate targeting data on rockets, artillery and mortars, providing a multimission radar (MMR) capability.

The solid-state phased array radar system detects, classifies, tracks and determines the location of enemy indirect fire in either 360- or 90-degree modes.

Lockheed Martin is manufacturing multiple Q-53 radars per month. Since Lockheed Martin won the development contract for the Q-53 radar in 2007, the company has won five additional contracts for a total of more than 100 radars and delivered more than 60 systems to the U.S. Army. The Army is expected to award a full-rate production contract this year bringing the system total to more than 170.

Work on the Q-53 radars is performed at Lockheed Martin facilities in Syracuse and Owego, New York, Moorestown, New Jersey, and Clearwater, Florida.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/tpq53.html

Original post lockheedmartin.com

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AN/TPQ-53 counterfire target acquisition radar

The AN/TPQ-53 is a counterfire target acquisition radar designed and manufactured by the U.S. Company Lockheed Martin. The U.S. Army changed the designation of the Enhanced AN / TPQ-36 (EQ-36) radar to the AN/TPQ-53 (Q-53) radar in September 2011.

The Q-53 is also IFPC (Indirect Fire Protection Capability) compatible in countering rocket, artillery, and mortar attacks. Compared to currently deployed systems, the new, battle-tested Q-53 offers enhanced performance, including greater mobility, increased reliability and supportability, a lower life-cycle cost, reduced crew size, and the ability to track targets in a full-spectrum environment, a vital capability on today’s battlefield.

Since 2010, the Lockheed Martin AN/TPQ-53 (Q-53) counterfire target acquisition radar has been successfully deployed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan providing U.S. Army soldiers with enhanced protection from indirect fire. In October 2013, the US DSCA announces Singapore’s export request for up to 6 AN/TPQ-53(V) Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar Systems (CTARS) with 120 degree sector scan capability, along with generators, power units, a simulator, a live fire exercise, tool and test equipment, spare and repair parts, repair & return services, software support, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, communication support equipment, personnel training, and other forms of US Government and contractor support. The estimated cost is up to $179 million.

Radar

The radar is mounted at the rear of a 5-ton FMTV 6×6 truck chassis. The Q-53 is a mobile radar system designed to detect, classify, and track projectiles fired from mortar, artillery, and rocket systems using a 90-degree or continuous 360-degree sector search. The radar provides target location of threat indirect fire systems with sufficient accuracy for effective counterfire.

Mounted on its M1083 5-ton FMTV prime mover, the Q-53 can be rapidly deployed and integrated into the tactical battlefield with heavy, medium and light forces. FMTV truck enhances tactical mobility and is strategically deployable in C-5, C-17, and C-130 military transport aircraft. The 5-ton FMTV is powered by 6-cylinder Caterpillar diesel engine coupled to an Allison automatic transmission.

M1083 5-ton FMTV prime mover

An AN/TPQ-53 radar system is actually made up of 2 vehicles. One FMTV truck is the Mission Essential Group, containing the radar antenna and the power generator. The second FMTV truck carries the Sustainment Group, with a climate controlled operations shelter and backup power generator. Automation and built-in test sensors means that only 4 soldiers can operate the system, with an emplacement time of 5 minutes and a displacement time of just 2 minutes.