In partnership with USMC, AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR recently passed a successful IOT&E
Northrop Grumman Corporation in partnership with the US Marine Corps (USMC), recently passed a successful Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) for the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) Blocks I and II.
Northrop Grumman’s AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR is an advanced, multi-mission Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that provides comprehensive real time, 360 degree situational awareness.
IOT&E is a rigorous phase of testing that a new system undergoes to determine that it is operationally effective and suitable for fleet introduction. The IOT&E milestone demonstrates viability and suitability of the system, and completion indicates the USMC is ready to operate and field both G/ATOR blocks in their current configuration. “The commitment of both the USMC and G/ATOR team to deliver an operationally effective, 360-degree AESA radar system will ensure our warfighters can detect – and take action against – complex, modern threats,” the company states in a written statement.
“Through our close partnership with the Marine Corps, we have been able to successfully achieve the IOT&E milestone and begin fielding this radar system with unrivaled mission capability to operational units,” said Christine Harbison, Vice President, Land and Avionics C4ISR, Northrop Grumman. “We are proud to deliver hardware enabled, software defined advanced ground radar systems that meet our customer’s mission needs, protect the warfighter in a rapidly changing threat environment, and have significant margin for capability growth.”
To date, eight production systems have been delivered to the USMC. In early 2017, Northrop Grumman delivered six low rate initial production systems. The first Gallium Nitride (GaN) systems were delivered ahead of schedule in July 2018 and were used for development test (DT) 1E1, DT1E2 and IOT&E. Operational capabilities enhanced by Northrop Grumman’s proven AESA radar technology give the AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR system the ability to perform multi-mission tasks at significantly lower operation and maintenance costs compared to existing radar systems.
In addition to providing a broad range of optimised radar capabilities, AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR provides automatic adaptability via a scalable open system architecture. G/ATOR’s multi-network capability ensures compatibility with additional US Department of Defense command and control systems.
