MPQ-64 Sentinel

The AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel is a three-dimensional radar used to alert and queue Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) weapons to the locations of hostile targets approaching their front line forces. The Sentinel radar is deployed with forward area air defense units of the U.S. Army and USMC. The radar uses an X-band range-gated, pulse-doppler system. The antenna uses phase-frequency electronic scanning technology, forming sharp 3D pencil beams covering large surveillance and track volume. The radar automatically acquires, tracks, classifies, identifies and reports targets, including cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. It uses a high scan rate (30 RPM) and operates at a range of 40 km. The radar is designed with high resistance to electronic countermeasures (ECM). Mounted on a towed platform, it can be positioned remotely from the rest of the unit, operated autonomously and communicate with the Fire Distribution Center (FDC) via wideband fiber-optic link. It can also distribute its data over a SINCGARS radio network.

Upgrades

#Under an ongoing product modernization program, Sentinel is expected operating range to 40 km and offer improved on-board target classification capability.
#The Army has designated the Sentinel radar as an objective force system (to remain in the field until 2030) and has developed a modernization plan to meet those requirements.

Manufacturer

Raytheon developed the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar at its Fullerton, California facility, and manufactures it at its Forest, Mississippi plant.

Main characteristics

* X-band, phased array, pulse-Doppler
* Low-altitude, medium-range air defense sensor
* Detects fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, and UAVs at reduced ranges
* Azimuth: 360 deg; altitude: 4 km; range: 40 km effective
* Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) and Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) resistant
* High mobility, transportability, and reliability
* Deployed using modified HMMWV fitted with a 400-Hz on-board generator
* Provides identification of friendly aircraft through IFF

ee also

*Joint Electronics Type Designation System

External links

* [http://www.thalesraytheon.com/us-anmpq64.htm Thales-Raytheon site]