Active Phased Array Radar
Encyclopedia
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
(MFR) developed and manufactured by Thales Nederland
Thales Nederland
Thales Nederland B.V. is a subsidiary of Thales Group involved primarily in naval defence systems...
. It is the first Active Electronically Scanned Array
Active Electronically Scanned Array
An Active Electronically Scanned Array , also known as active phased array radar is a type of phased array radar whose transmitter and receiver functions are composed of numerous small solid-state transmit/receive modules . AESAs aim their "beam" by broadcasting radio energy that interfere...
MFR employed on an operational warship.
Characteristics
APAR has four fixed (i.e., non-rotating) sensor arrays (faces), fixed on a pyramidal structure. Each face consists of 3424 transmit/receive (TR) modules operating at X bandX band
The X band is a segment of the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of X band is rather indefinitely set at approximately 7.0 to 11.2 gigahertz . In radar engineering, the frequency range is specified...
frequencies.
The radar provides the following capabilities:
- air target tracking of over 200 targets out to 150 km
- surface target tracking of over 150 targets out to 32 km
- horizon search out to 75 km
- "limited" volume search out to 150 km (in order to back up the volume search capabilities of the SMART-LSMART-LSMART-L is a naval long-range search radar from Thales Nederland, formerly Hollandse Signaalapparaten ....
) - cued search (a mode in which the search is cued using data originating from another sensor)
- surface gunfire support
- missile guidance using the Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI) technique, thus allowing guidance of 32 semi-active radar homing missiles in flight simultaneously, including 16 in the terminal guidance phase
- "innovative" Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM)
Note: all ranges listed above are instrumented ranges.
Mountings
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Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
(RNLN) LCF De Zeven Provinciën class
De Zeven Provinciën class frigate
The De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are highly advanced air-defence and command frigates in service with the Koninklijke Marine . This class of ships is also known as LCF...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s and three German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
F124 Sachsen class
Sachsen class frigate
The F124 Sachsen class is Germany's latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent's radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s. In August 2006, the Royal Danish Navy
Royal Danish Navy
The Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
selected an anti-air warfare system designed around APAR and SMART-L
SMART-L
SMART-L is a naval long-range search radar from Thales Nederland, formerly Hollandse Signaalapparaten ....
over the competing BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
SAMPSON
SAMPSON
The SAMPSON is a multi-function AESA radar produced by BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies. The SAMPSON multi function radar system is described by BAE Systems as being a world beating air defence system...
Integrated Weapon System (SIWS) for their three new frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, known as the Ivar Huitfeldt class
Ivar Huitfeldt class frigate
The Iver Huitfeldt class will be a three-ship class of frigates entering service with the Royal Danish Navy in 2012 and 2013.-Background:...
, which is currently under construction. SIWS is based on SAMPSON
SAMPSON
The SAMPSON is a multi-function AESA radar produced by BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies. The SAMPSON multi function radar system is described by BAE Systems as being a world beating air defence system...
multi-function and CEA-MOUNT fire control radars.
Live Missile Firings
APAR's missile guidance capability supports the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSMESSM
The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles...
) and the SM-2
Standard missile
Standard Missile can refer to a family of several different American missiles:* RIM-66 Standard , a medium range surface-to-air missile, the successor of the RIM-24 Tartar missile...
Block IIIA missile. In November 2003, approximately 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) from the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, the missile guidance capabilities were tested with live firings for the first time. The firings were performed by the RNLN's HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (F802)
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën is the first ship of the De Zeven Provinciën class air defence and command frigates in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy...
and involved the firing of a single ESSM
ESSM
The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles...
and a single SM-2
Standard missile
Standard Missile can refer to a family of several different American missiles:* RIM-66 Standard , a medium range surface-to-air missile, the successor of the RIM-24 Tartar missile...
Block IIIA. These firings were the first ever live firings involving a full-size ship-borne Active Electronically Scanned Array
Active Electronically Scanned Array
An Active Electronically Scanned Array , also known as active phased array radar is a type of phased array radar whose transmitter and receiver functions are composed of numerous small solid-state transmit/receive modules . AESAs aim their "beam" by broadcasting radio energy that interfere...
guiding missiles using the ICWI technique in an operational environment. As related by Jane's Navy International:
During the tracking and missile-firing tests, target profiles were provided by Greek-built EADS/3Sigma Iris PVK medium-range subsonic target drones. [...] According to the RNLN, ... "APAR immediately acquired the missile and maintained track until destruction". [...] These ground-breaking tests represented the world's first live verification of the ICWI technique.
In August 2004, a German Navy Sachsen class
Sachsen class frigate
The F124 Sachsen class is Germany's latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent's radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
completed a series of live missile firings at the Point Mugu missile launch range off the coast of California that included a total of 11 ESSM
ESSM
The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles...
and 10 SM-2
Standard missile
Standard Missile can refer to a family of several different American missiles:* RIM-66 Standard , a medium range surface-to-air missile, the successor of the RIM-24 Tartar missile...
Block IIIA missiles. The tests included firings against target drones such as the Northrop Grumman BQM-74E Chukkar III and Teledyne Ryan BQM-34S Firebee I, as well as against missile targets such as the Beech AQM-37C and air-launched Kormoran 1 anti-ship missiles.
Further live firings were performed by the RNLN's HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (F802)
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën is the first ship of the De Zeven Provinciën class air defence and command frigates in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy...
in March 2005, again in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 180 nautical miles (333.4 km) west of the Azores. The tests involved three live-firing events including firing a single SM-2
Standard missile
Standard Missile can refer to a family of several different American missiles:* RIM-66 Standard , a medium range surface-to-air missile, the successor of the RIM-24 Tartar missile...
Block IIIA at an Iris target drone at long range, a single ESSM
ESSM
The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles...
at an Iris target drone, and a two-salvo launch (with one salvo comprising two SM-2
Standard missile
Standard Missile can refer to a family of several different American missiles:* RIM-66 Standard , a medium range surface-to-air missile, the successor of the RIM-24 Tartar missile...
Block IIIAs and the other comprising two ESSM
ESSM
The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles...
s) against two incoming Iris target drones. The long-range SM-2
Standard missile
Standard Missile can refer to a family of several different American missiles:* RIM-66 Standard , a medium range surface-to-air missile, the successor of the RIM-24 Tartar missile...
engagement apparently resulted in an intercept at a range of greater than 100 km from the ship, with a missile-target miss distance of 8 feet (the warhead's proximity fuse having been disabled for the purposes of the test).
Operational Concept
APAR is typically paired with Thales NederlandThales Nederland
Thales Nederland B.V. is a subsidiary of Thales Group involved primarily in naval defence systems...
's SMART-L
SMART-L
SMART-L is a naval long-range search radar from Thales Nederland, formerly Hollandse Signaalapparaten ....
radar (which operates at L band
L band
L band refers to four different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum: 40 to 60 GHz , 1 to 2 GHz , 1565 nm to 1625 nm , and around 3.5 micrometres .-NATO L band:...
frequencies). SMART-L
SMART-L
SMART-L is a naval long-range search radar from Thales Nederland, formerly Hollandse Signaalapparaten ....
is a long-range Volume Search Radar (VSR) that is able to provide volume search and tracking out to 480 km. The whole system is called Anti-Air Warfare Systems (AAWS), and is based on the NATO Anti-Air Warfare (NAAWS) concept of the late 1980s. The principle behind this concept is that an X band
X band
The X band is a segment of the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of X band is rather indefinitely set at approximately 7.0 to 11.2 gigahertz . In radar engineering, the frequency range is specified...
MFR coupled with an L band
L band
L band refers to four different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum: 40 to 60 GHz , 1 to 2 GHz , 1565 nm to 1625 nm , and around 3.5 micrometres .-NATO L band:...
VSR provides the optimal combination of complementary capabilities: the VSR is optimized for long range detection and tracking of targets, while the MFR is optimized for medium range high accuracy tracking of targets, as well as horizon search and missile guidance functions.
As discussed below, some have questioned the optimality of separate MFR/VSR installations on-board ship. However, the wisdom of NATO's concept is evident to this author:
BAE Systems have also claimed that Sampson eliminates the need for several separate systems. They suggest that on the Type 45 destroyer, the Alenia Marconi Systems/Signaal [now Thales NederlandThales NederlandThales Nederland B.V. is a subsidiary of Thales Group involved primarily in naval defence systems...
] S1850M long-range 3D radar that is designed to work in partnership with Sampson "really is superfluous and is not needed to perform the mission of the ship". BAE Systems believes that the reason the large volume search radar has been incorporated in to PAAMS is "more of a historic nature, associated with [the] work sharing issues" that were a huge problem during the trilateral Project Horizon.
Some tasks are difficult to combine, for example (long range) volume search takes a lot of radar resources, leaving little room for other tasks such as targeting. Combining volume search with other tasks also results either in slow search rates or in low overall quality per task. Driving parameters in radar performance is time-on-target or observation time per beam. This is perhaps a the [sic] key reason why the Royal Navy selected the S1850M Long Range Radar to complement Sampson on the Type 45 destroyers. It is also a reason why NATO in its NATO Anti-Air Warfare System study (NAAWS) defined the preferred AAW system as consisting of a complementary Volume Search Radar and MFR. This - as NATO points out - gives the added advantage that the two systems can use two different radar frequencies; one being a good choice for long range search, the other a good choice for an MFR (which is especially nice as physics makes both tasks difficult to combine).
Counter-Piracy Operations
Ships of the RNLN's De Zeven Provinciën classDe Zeven Provinciën class frigate
The De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are highly advanced air-defence and command frigates in service with the Koninklijke Marine . This class of ships is also known as LCF...
have been involved in counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa. The untraditional target set (i.e., small slow-moving or even static surface targets) can apparently be challenging for doppler radars designed to take on "high end" threats. However, according to Jane's International Defence Review:
[The RNLN has] reported great success using tailored surface-search software for the APAR sets fitted to the De Zeven Provinciën-classDe Zeven Provinciën class frigateThe De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are highly advanced air-defence and command frigates in service with the Koninklijke Marine . This class of ships is also known as LCF...
frigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s deployed on anti-piracy roles. By sacrificing some of APAR's high-end anti-air warfare capabilities, which were deemed unnecessary for the anti-piracy role, its performance and resolution were improved in the surface-search role.
The exploits of the RNLN's De Zeven Provinciën class
De Zeven Provinciën class frigate
The De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are highly advanced air-defence and command frigates in service with the Koninklijke Marine . This class of ships is also known as LCF...
frigate HNLMS Tromp
HNLMS Tromp (F803)
HNLMS Tromp is the second De Zeven Provinciën class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It was laid down in 1999, launched in 2001, and commissioned in 2003...
in regards to counter-piracy operations — including the April 2010 rescue of the container ship MV Taipan — are described here
HNLMS Tromp (F803)
HNLMS Tromp is the second De Zeven Provinciën class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It was laid down in 1999, launched in 2001, and commissioned in 2003...
. The counter-piracy exploits of the HNLMS Evertsen
HNLMS Evertsen (F805)
HNLMS Evertsen is the fourth De Zeven Provinciën class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy.Hr Ms Evertsen visited South Africa in late 2007 as part of a NATO task force on a friendship visit....
are outlined here
HNLMS Evertsen (F805)
HNLMS Evertsen is the fourth De Zeven Provinciën class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy.Hr Ms Evertsen visited South Africa in late 2007 as part of a NATO task force on a friendship visit....
.
See also
- Phased arrayPhased arrayIn wave theory, a phased array is an array of antennas in which the relative phases of the respective signals feeding the antennas are varied in such a way that the effective radiation pattern of the array is reinforced in a desired direction and suppressed in undesired directions.An antenna array...
- Active Electronically Scanned ArrayActive Electronically Scanned ArrayAn Active Electronically Scanned Array , also known as active phased array radar is a type of phased array radar whose transmitter and receiver functions are composed of numerous small solid-state transmit/receive modules . AESAs aim their "beam" by broadcasting radio energy that interfere...
- De Zeven Provinciën class frigatesDe Zeven Provinciën class frigateThe De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are highly advanced air-defence and command frigates in service with the Koninklijke Marine . This class of ships is also known as LCF...
- HNLMS De Zeven ProvinciënHNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (F802)HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën is the first ship of the De Zeven Provinciën class air defence and command frigates in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy...
- HNLMS TrompHNLMS Tromp (F803)HNLMS Tromp is the second De Zeven Provinciën class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It was laid down in 1999, launched in 2001, and commissioned in 2003...
- HNLMS De RuyterHNLMS De Ruyter (F804)HNLMS De Ruyter is the third De Zeven Provinciën class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It was laid down in 2000, launched in 2002, and commissioned in 2004. The frigate is named after the famous Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter .The frigate should not be mistaken with the former Hr. Ms...
- HNLMS EvertsenHNLMS Evertsen (F805)HNLMS Evertsen is the fourth De Zeven Provinciën class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy.Hr Ms Evertsen visited South Africa in late 2007 as part of a NATO task force on a friendship visit....
- Sachsen class frigatesSachsen class frigateThe F124 Sachsen class is Germany's latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent's radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the...
- Ivar Huitfeldt class frigatesIvar Huitfeldt class frigateThe Iver Huitfeldt class will be a three-ship class of frigates entering service with the Royal Danish Navy in 2012 and 2013.-Background:...