The long-range TBM Early Warning Radar will detect and track theater ballistic missiles and provide continuous coverage of potential TBM launch areas.

The Long-range TBM Early Warning Radar is a UHF phased array radar. It will generate high-confidence warning reports that can be sent to command and control centers and will alert population centers, military installations, and defensive assets. The system will also detect and track Earth-orbiting satellites.

The radar’s unique phased array antenna technology differs from that of a mechanical radar, which must be physically aimed at an object in space to track or observe it. The phased array antenna has a fixed position and is part of the exterior building wall. Phased array antenna aiming, or beam steering, is done by electronically controlling the timing, or phase, of the incoming and outgoing signals. The system must rapidly distinguish between vehicle types, calculating their launch and impact points, in addition to meeting scheduling, data processing, and communications requirements. The operation is entirely automatic, requiring people only for monitoring, maintenance, and performing final checks of a warning’s validity.

Raytheon has a long history of developing phased array ballistic missile early warning and space surveillance radars for the U.S. Air Force. These systems have been in operation for nearly twenty years. Our long-range TBM early warning radar system uses the same hardware and software designs to provide a low-cost, low-risk solution to the ever-increasing TBM threat.