US Marine Corps to receive more advanced radar systems

The U.S. Marine Corps will receive ten additional AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) systems in a $513 million deal between the Marine Corps Systems Command and radar builder Northrop Grumman.

The deal, which was a modification to a previous contract, provides for the procurement of up to an additional 14 full-rate production G/ATOR systems via the incorporation of Lot Five for 10 G/ATOR systems and optional Lot Six for up to four G/ATOR systems.

The work is expected to be completed in October 2028.

The advanced radar system, known as G/ATOR, is a multi-mission radar that provides real time, 360-degree situational awareness to identify and track missiles, manned and unmanned aircraft vehicles, rockets, mortars, and artillery fire.

As noted by Northrop Grumman, this multi-mission air surveillance system can detect, identify and track airborne threats common to combat environments. These include cruise missiles, aircraft and remotely piloted vehicles, as well as rocket, artillery and mortar fire.

The long-range, high-performance AN/TPS-80 replaces five of the Marine Corps’ single-mission radars with one multi-mission system, reducing cost and complexity while streamlining training. It consolidates the air surveillance, air defense and counterfire target acquisition missions of the AN/TPQ-46, UPS-3, AN/TPS-63, AN/MPQ-62 and AN/TPS-73 into one package with radar, power and communications elements.