US Air Force awards Lockheed Martin $52 Mn radar contract for Lithuania.

As recently tweeted by AirPower 2.0, Lockheed Martin has been awarded a substantial contract worth $52 million by the United States Air Force. This contract involves the delivery of three AN/TPS-77 long-range air surveillance radars to Lithuania, along with comprehensive training, essential spare parts, and interim contractor support. The anticipated completion date for the delivery of these radar systems is early 2027, which aligns with Lockheed Martin's busy radar production schedule, as the company's facilities serve both US and foreign customers, and accommodate various radar types.
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The AN/TPS-77 radar is also available in an MRR medium to long-range variant (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)

This contract with Lithuania falls under the category of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and was executed as a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2023 Building Partner Capacity Funds totaling $29,364,238 and Fiscal 2023 Foreign Military Sales funds amounting to $23,249,035 have been allocated for this endeavor. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, based at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, has overseen the contracting activities for this contract, marked as FA2383-23-C-B-001. The completion date for this contract is set for February 28, 2027, by which time Lithuania will have received these advanced radar systems and the accompanying support necessary to enhance its national defense capabilities.

The AN/TPS-77 radar system, also known as TPS-77, is a versatile radar platform with a proven track record. It is a smaller variant of the AN/TP-59 air-warning radar, derived from the AN/FPS-117 long-range radar system. An important feature of the AN/TPS-77 radar is its high mobility, capable of deployment with just one prime mover in specific scenarios, providing flexibility for various operational requirements.

This Multi-Role Radar System operates within the frequency band of 1215 to 1400 MHz, utilizing an active electronic elevation scanning array and solid-state transmitters. Its performance is adaptable to meet specific customer requirements, with operators having the flexibility to select mission parameters by azimuth, accommodating various tasks such as long-range surveillance, gap filling, UAV detection, and low-level flight surveillance.

In its long-range surveillance mission, the radar system offers a range of 10-463 km and height coverage from 0 to 30.5 km. With a scan rate of 5 rotations per minute (RPM) and the ability to detect typical fighter aircraft with an 80% probability, the AN/TPS-77 provides situational awareness over extended distances.

In low-level flight surveillance missions, the radar system covers a range of 2-150 km and height coverage from 0 to 15 km. Operating at a higher scan rate of 10 RPM and achieving a 90% probability of detecting typical fighter aircraft, enhances security in critical airspace scenarios.

The radar system's reliability is notable, with an availability rate of 99.9%, indicating its dependability in critical situations. It also boasts a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) of over 2000 hours during normal operation, with a swift Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) of less than 45 minutes.