U.S. Army's AN/TPQ-53 radar to transition to GaN
NewsOctober 12, 2018
SYRACUSE, N.Y. U.S. Army officials modified an existing contract with Lockheed Martin to insert Gallium Nitride (GaN) into the AN/TPQ-53 (Q-53) radar as part of the full rate production configuration.
The transition to GaN will provide the Q-53 with additional power for capabilities including long-range counterfire target acquisition. GaN also has the added benefit of increasing system reliability and reducing lifecycle ownership costs, officials say.
The multimission Q-53 aims to protect troops in combat by detecting, classifying, tracking, and identifying the location of enemy indirect fire in either 360 or 90-degree modes. The radar is software-defined allowing for quick adjustment to address emerging Army capability needs for air surveillance and counter fire target acquisition.
Lockheed Martin currently produces multiple Q-53 radars annually. Work on the system is performed at Lockheed Martin facilities in New York, New Jersey and Florida.
