FPS-117

FPS-117 Long Range 3D Radar Set - A 3D Radar set for Air surveillance/defense and air traffic control. Originally built by General Electric now Lockheed Martin. This radar is a solid-state, L-band, 3-D system designed to provide long-range aircraft range, azimuth and height detection. The US and Canada have deployed 15 radars in Alaska, 11 in Canada, and one each in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Hill AFB is the logistics center for the FPS-117 and the facility there is known as Hill Air Force Base Engineering Facility (E-FAC). The radars are part of the Air Force's Atmospheric Early Warning System. This radar is classed as minimally attended, designed to be remotely operated and diagnosed from maintenance control centers. Travel to remotely located sites is limited to periodic maintenance and emergency repairs. Radar System The 24' by 24' planar antenna array rotates on a pedestal usually at the top of a tower covered with a rigid radome. The FPS-117 has a pencil beam capability that allows customization of beam patterns to deal with terrain and clutter issues. The pencil beam architecture offers a -6 degree “look down” capability from elevated sites to detect aircraft at lower levels and a 20-degree upper view. The planar antenna is made up of 44-row transceivers, 44-row feed assemblies, four-column feed assemblies, and 12-row power supplies. The exciter and final receiver are mounted at the base of the antenna itself. Beacon System A separate beacon system with Mode 4 and Mode S Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems is usually provided. The beacon antenna is mounted on top of the FPS-117 radar sail. Upgrades The FPS-117 radars were originally installed in the early 1980s as part of the Seek Igloo North Warning program. Several technology upgrades have been implemented since then. The 2011 upgrades impacted 29 FPS-117 long-range surveillance radars, follow-on upgrades would impact the signal and data processors to extend their operational life thru 2025. A December 2012 a $16.4 million contract modification was awarded to Lockeed Martin to upgrade U.S. Air Force FPS-117 long-range radars in Alaska and Canada. Those modifications were completed in 2016. The upgrades replaced aging electronics in the radar systems including electronic assemblies in the radar system's tower equipment room, antenna platform electronics cabinet, IFF beacon electronics, and maintenance control system centers. FPS-117 3D Radar FPS-117 3D Radar Element Value Notes Nomenclature FPS-117 Variants FPS-117(V)4 TPS-77(V) L-88 Current Mobile Aerostat Manufacturer General Electric Lockheed Martin Type 3D Number Made 32~ 170+ North Warning System Worldwide IEEE Band L Band Frequency 1,215 - 1,400 MHz PRF 241 Pulse Width 51.2 μsec (short range) 409.6 μsec (long range) Rotation Speed 5 or 6 rpm Power 24.75 kW Peak Range 5 to 250nm ±0.25nm Long Range Altitude 100k ft Introduced FY1980 FY1983 Prototype Production (12) Cost est $14-$15 Million each FPS-117 Model at North Bay CFB Museum. The Beacon Antenna is shown at the Top of the Sail. See Also: US Radar Sets Sources: Lockeed Martin - Press Release 7 Nov 2011 Lockeed Martin - Press Sheet Forcast International - FPS-117(V)/TPS-77V Parker, David Parcel, Structural Integrity Investigation of the AN/FPS-117 Radar and Radar Tower, Master of Science Thesis, Mechanical Engineering Department, The University of Utah, August 2014, Pdf. Links: Radomes - FPS-117 Wikipedia - FPS-117 Military Aerospace - Lockheed Martin to continue project to upgrade FPS-117 long-range surveillance radars 16 Dec 2012