U.S. Marine Corps orders additional Northrop Grumman AN/TPS-80 radars.

Northrop Grumman Corporation has received an order from the U.S. Marine Corps for two additional AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) systems as part of the full-rate production Lot 2 award received in December 2019. This order completes the planned Lot 2 procurement for a total of eight systems for the Marine Corps.

AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) (Picture source: Northrop Grumman)

“We are continuing to provide an advanced, multi-mission capability that meets the evolving needs of our customers,” said Mike Meaney, vice president, land and maritime sensors, Northrop Grumman. “This order also enables us to keep the G/ATOR production pipeline full in anticipation for a Lot 3 award next year.”

In June 2019, the U.S. Marine Corps awarded Northrop Grumman a $958 million full-rate production contract for 30 of the Gallium Nitride-based (GaN) G/ATOR systems. The AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) is the United States Marine Corps next-generation Air Surveillance/Air Defense and Air Traffic Control (ATC) Radar. The mobile active electronically scanned array radar system is currently being developed by Northrop Grumman and was expected to reach initial operating capability in August 2016.

The G/ATOR is a single materiel solution for the mobile Multi-Role Radar System and Ground Weapons Locating Radar (GWLR) requirements. It is a three-dimensional, short/medium range multi-role radar designed to detect unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, air-breathing targets, rockets, artillery, and mortars. G/ATOR satisfies the warfighter's expeditionary needs across the Marine Air-Ground Task Force spectrum replacing five legacy radar systems with a single solution. The five Marine Corps legacy radar systems being replaced by this multi-function capability include the AN/TPS-63 (air defense), AN/TPS-73 (air-traffic control), AN/MPQ-62 (short-range air defense), AN/TPQ-46 (counter-fire target acquisition) and UPS-3 (target tracking). Additionally, it will augment the AN/TPS-59 long-range radar.