The Solid State Phased Array Radar System[1] (SSPARS, colloquially "BMEWS radar network'" as late as 2004)[2] is a United States Space Force radar, computer, and communications system for missile warning and space surveillance. There are SSPARS systems at five sites: Beale Air Force Base, CA, Cape Cod Space Force Station, MA, Clear Space Force Station, AK, RAF Fylingdales, UK, and Pituffik Space Base, Greenland.[3] The system completed replacement of the RCA 474L Ballistic Missile Early Warning System when the last SSPAR was operational at then-Clear Air Force Station in 2001.[1]
Classification of radar systems
Under the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), all U.S. military radar and tracking systems are assigned a unique identifying alphanumeric designation. The letters “AN” (for Army-Navy) are placed ahead of a three-letter code.[4]
- The first letter of the three-letter code denotes the type of platform hosting the electronic device, where A=Aircraft, F=Fixed (land-based), S=Ship-mounted, and T=Ground transportable.
- The second letter indicates the type of equipment, where P=Radar (pulsed), Q=Sonar, and R=Radio.
- The third letter indicates the function or purpose of the device, where G=Fire control, R=Receiving, S=Search, and T=Transmitting.
The AN/FPS-132 Upgraded Early Warning Radar (UEWR) is a series of phased array radar systems used for long-range early warning and space surveillance, operating as part of the United States Missile Defense and Space Surveillance Network.
Thus, the AN/FPS-132 represents the 132nd design of an Army-Navy “Fixed, Radar, Search” electronic device.[4][5]
History
The Solid State Phased Array Radar System is a phased array radar with 2500 "solid state transmitter" modules.[6]
It began replacing PAVE PAWS when the first AN/FPS-115 face was taken off-line for the radar upgrade. New AN/FPS-123 Early Warning Radars became operational in (Beale) and (Cape Cod) in each base's existing PAVE PAWS "Scanner Building".[7]
In 2001 SSPARS equipment included:
- Raytheon AN/FPS-123 PAVE PAWS Radar[8] at Beale (FPS-115 IOC April 4, 1980) and Cape Cod (FPS-115 IOC August 15, 1980)[9]
- Raytheon AN/FPS-120 Solid State Phased Array Radar at Thule ("2QFY87")[10] with greater radar capabilities than the FPS-115 PAVE PAWS radars
- Raytheon AN/FPS-126 Solid State Phased Array Radar at Fylingdales with three faces for 360 degree coverage (constructed August 1989-October 1992)[11]
- Raytheon AN/FPS-120[12] Solid State Phased Array Radar using an older antenna from the 1987[13] PAVE PAWS EWR in Texas (groundbreaking April 16, 1998,[12] for the "Clear Radar Upgrade")[14]
After the Fylingdales BMEWS radars had been replaced by Raytheon/Cossor AeroSpace and Control Data Corporation (embedded CDC-Cyber computer) at a cost of US $100M,[citation needed] in February 1995 the "missile warning center at Cheyenne Mountain AS [was] undergoing a $450 million upgrade program".[15] The entire SSPARS became operational on January 31, 2001 when the "SSPARS Site"[16] at Clear AFS (separate from the BMEWS site) had Initial Operational Capability.[17] The Clear AN/FPS-120 was subsequently "upgraded to the AN/FPS-123 model" SSPA Radar,[18] and the SSPARS was modified in the Early Warning Radar Service Life Extension Program[1] The US approved sale of an[which?] AN/FPS-115 to Taiwan in 2000[19] and it was introduced in 2006.[20]
The UK and Alaska BMEWS stations became SSPARS radar stations when their respective AN/FPS-126 radar [21] and 2001 AN/FPS-120 became operational.[22] In 2007, 100 owners/trustees of amateur radio repeaters near AN/FPS-123 radars were notified to lower their power output to mitigate interference,[23] and AN/FPS-123s were part of the Air Force Space Surveillance System by 2009.[24] BAE Systems began a 2007 contract for SSPARS maintenance.[25] The SSPARS radar electronics was subsequently upgraded, e.g., the Beale radar[19] and the Fylingdales FPS-126 each became an AN/FPS-132 Upgraded Early Warning Radar (UEWR)[26] by Raytheon.[27] The Beale AN/FPS-123 was upgraded to a Raytheon AN/FPS-132 (UEWR) with capabilities to operate in the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) ABM system—the Beale UEWR included "Avionics", "T/R modules",[28] "FEX/TTG", "BSG", "Signal Processor", and other changes.[29] After additional UEWR installations for GMD at Thule Site J and the UK (contracted 2003),[30] a 2012 ESD/XRX Request for Information for replacement, and remote operation, of the remaining "PAVE PAWS/BMEWS/PARCS systems" at Cape Cod, Alaska, and North Dakota was issued.[31] The Alaska AN/FPS-132 was contracted in fall 2012[32] and the Cape Cod installation in 2013.[19]
The AN/FPS-132 Block-5 was ordered by the Qatar Emiri Air Force, and is in construction.[33]
System overview
| External image | |
|---|---|
 AN/FPS-132 UEWR |
- Solid-state phased array radar
- Each radar installation has multiple faces, where each face provides a 120-degree coverage.[19]
- Operating frequency: Ultra high frequency (UHF)[19]
- Range: 3,000 miles[19]
Locations
Active:
- Beale Air Force Base, California
- RAF Fylingdales, United Kingdom
- Thule Site J (Pituffik Space Base), Greenland
Planned: