Lockheed Radar for Defense Surveillance in the U.K.

The TPS-77 radar for long range surveillance applications will be provided by Lockheed Martin to the United Kingdom (U.K). This transportable or fixed site radar provides continual 3-D surveillance of high quality for aircraft targets with ranges exceeding 250 nautical miles. This radar is the most recent configuration of the 3-D solid state based radar design that is the most successful in the world. Most of these radar systems have functioned well in unmanned modes in remote regions and under a broad operational environment range. 

Currently 25 nations are operating the 33 TPS-77 and 134 FPS-117 radar systems. This Lockheed radar shares a fair degree of commonality in relation to logistics-related aspects for the FPS-117 (Type 92) radar. Most of these radar systems have functioned well in unmanned mode in remote regions and under a broad operational environment range.

The TPS-77 radar will offer surveillance coverage for five wind farms that are planned to be located inside the Greater Wash Strategic region, namely Docking Shoal, Sheringham Shoal, Dudgeon, Race Bank, and Triton Knoll. It is estimated that power in excess of 5,500 MW will be generated in these regions

This radar system will offer dependable capabilities for air defense surveillance for the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in the U.K. and enable the country to move ahead with its plans for installing about 924 turbines along the east coast of England. The radar incorporates state-of-the-art electronics systems that will reduce clutter or interference, which are usually responsible for obscuring radar targets surrounding and in the wind farms.

Bases on a contract signed with Serco, the TPS-77 radar system will be delivered by Lockheed by November 2011. Serco is Lockheed’s U.K. partner for contractor logistic support for the Type 92 or the FPS-117 radars for the MoD. Serco was able to deliver an operational availablity greater than 98%.

This radar system also supports the plans of the Department of Energy and Climate Change in the U.K. for reducing consumption of fuel. For lowering the emissions by 34% as compared to the 1990 levels before 2030, the Low Carbon Transition Plan was established by the U.K. in 2009. The wind power has emerged as the largest renewable source in the U.K. having operational offshore based wind farms in excess of 200. The U.K. had overtaken Denmark during 2008 as the biggest offshore located wind generator worldwide.

Lockheed Martin's Radar Systems business general manager and vice president, Carl Bannar, informed that his company is continually incorporating the latest technology onto its ground-based FPS-117 and TPS-77 family of radars. He added his company’s investment has helped to offer better performance and new capabilities for customers and at the same time derive benefit from the operational experience of 30 years and field-tested architectures related to the long range radar family.