Long History and Planned Future

Gilfillan has a long history of developing and successfully producing Defense Surveillance Radars. This lineage started with our land-based AN/TPS-32 and was followed by a number of other land-based systems for international customers. The maritime AN/SPS-48E is the primary detection subsystem of the US Navy New Threat Upgrade (NTU) combat system. It supports the weapons direction system and the SM–2 by providing early and accurate threat tracking data that allow the defensive missiles to be launched with search data, saving valuable time. Forty-five AN/SPS-48E radars have been delivered to the USN. They are the principal air surveillance sensor on all aircraft carriers and large deck amphibious ships. The AN/SPS-48E is selected for the latest USN amphibious ship, the LPD-17 class, thus assuring US Navy support well into the 21st Century. Our advanced SPS-48E configurations are operational in both maritime and land-based applications.

Superior Performance against Multiple Threats

Through the radar resource manager implemented in software, the SPS-48E matches its performance to the requirements on land or sea. High transmit power combined with simultaneous pencil beam transmissions provide over 200 nautical miles of detection range in all operational environments including heavy jamming. Doppler waveforms coupled with image processing algorithms provide very fast detection of low-flying threats as they cross the radar horizon. High angle tracking (to 69 degrees) follows theater ballistic missile trajectories to over 1 million feet in altitude. The radar has demonstrated superior detection and tracking of high and low altitude cruise missiles, supersonic aircraft at all altitudes, helicopters, and ballistic missiles. The SPS-48E is a "plug and play" system – it inter-faces easily to C4I systems by providing plots or tracks, and to all modern weapons systems, including the Patriot and the Improved Hawk, SM-2, ESSM and RAM, by providing properly formatted track data. Furthermore, it can accept and execute commands from external Defense Surveillance or shipboard combat systems.

Low Support Costs via High Reliability, Excellent Built-In Test, and Remote Maintenance

The SPS-48E achieves high availability and low support costs via a combination of components and subsystems selected for high reliability, fail-soft modular design, selective redundancies installed in critical areas, corrosion protection, and extensive built-in test (BIT). The BIT subsystem is a computer-controlled test and maintenance tool that automates manual performance monitoring and preventative tests. Resulting test data and equipment status are compared to established limits and displayed to the maintenance technician in a user-friendly windows format. The BIT data may be sent to remote maintenance sites or the factory via modem for troubleshooting or training assistance. Only two maintenance technicians keep the system fully operational. They use the BIT subsystem, optional electronic technical manuals and four pieces of test equipment.

Benefits through Advanced Technology

	Operator interface improvements via software-controlled, color, graphic displays;
	Improved low flyer detection and tracking via Doppler processing modes and advanced processing algorithms;
	Higher reliability and simplified maintenance via a high-stability, solid-state 60 kW transmitter stage, lightweight antenna,
	Interactive technical manuals, and remote maintenance capability
	Performance growth with lower cost via VME-base standard processing equipment; and
	Sensor fusion and multi-radar integration via high speed data links.

Further advances are planned to take advantage of developing technology via our internal multi-year improvement program.