US Designates New Mobile Radar to Track Hypersonic Missiles, Drones, Northrop Grumman Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US government has designated a new rapidly mobile and movable radar capable of closely tracking hypersonic weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles, fifth generation combat aircraft and other threats, Northrop Grumman announced in a press release on Tuesday.

"Northrop Grumman’s long-range radar, an advanced digital radar available in the market today, has been officially recognized by the US government as the AN/TPY-5(V)1 making it the newest multi-mission air-surveillance radar available to the US military and its international partners," the release said.

“The AN/TPY-5(V)1 provides enhanced surveillance and a robust multifunction capability,” Northrop Grumman Vice President Mike Meaney said. “This S-band system features advanced electronic protection combined with a high degree of mobility that will help ensure survivability in today’s complex battlespace.”

The new system is capable of facing the challenges of fifth-generation fighters, hypersonic weapons, unmanned systems and ballistic missiles, the release said.

"AN/TPY-5(V)1’s size and form factor have been optimized for expeditionary operation on a modern, global battlefield, making its intrinsic capability to self-deploy, emplace and displace in minutes - a key discriminator compared to other systems," the release added.

The radar's advanced digital AESA architecture and command and control integration have been combined to enable protection and situational understanding for warfighters, according to the release.