R

1
RD In Navy Phased Array Radar
Dr. Michael A. Pollock Office of Naval Research,
ONR 312 Surface and Aerospace Surveillance Nation
al Symposium on Multi-function Phased
Array Current State of Military Investments in
Phased Array Radar October 11, 2007
2
Navy Phased Array RadarHighlights

• Navy is conducting research and development (RD)
  on phased arrays across a broad range frequency
  bands including S-band.
• The primary application of S-band is volume
  surveillance from surface combatants.
• Mission requirements, platform constraints and
  environmental challenges have motivated research
  solutions for high sensitivity, wide dynamic
  range and flexible time energy management.
• The ST strategy includes pushing hardware and
  software Open Architecture into the radar, not
  just the combat system.

3
Surface Combatant Missions
Volume Surveillance
Ship Self-defense
Volume Functions
Volume Search
High Power Discriminator (X-Band)
Volume Search
Air Control
High Power Discrimination
Aircraft Control
Long-Range Search
Missile Track / Mid - Course Communications
Electronic Protection
Solid State SPY (S-Band)
Periscope Detection
Track While Scan
Horizon Search
Surface Search
Target Track

• MFR
• Horizon Search
• Missile Illumination

Horizon Functions
Target Illumination
High power, S-Band Advanced Radar (SBAR)
High power, multi-function radar (X-band)
4
Navy Radar Roadmap Studies
Current Fleet Radars
Near-Term (2000-2005)
Mid-Term (2005-2012)
Far-Term (2012)
TBMD / Area AAW
SPY-1 A
SPY-1 B
SPY-1 D
TAMD Radar Suite (Solid State S-Band, HPD-X)
SPY-1B,D(V) Area TBMD Radar Upgrades
NTW Radar Upgrades
Air Search Radars
SPS-40
SPS-49
SPS-52
SPS-48C
SPS-49A SPS-48E
SPS-48E
VSR
VSR
MK-23 TAS
Fire Control Radars
MK-95
SPQ-9
CAS / STIR
SPG-60
SPQ-9B
MFR
MFR
SPG-62
Air Traffic Control Radars
SPN-43
SPN-41
SPN-46
Studies point out the need for next generation
radars to neck down for life cycle cost savings,
and to modernize so that US forces will not face
2020 threat with 1960s technology
5
Navy Phased Array Evolution
Passive Array
Active Element
Digital Array
Analog Beamformer
T/R
T/R
T/R
T/R
T DDS
R A/D
T DDS
R A/D
T DDS
R A/D
Analog Beam Former
High Power Amplifier
LNA
Digital Beam Former
Rec. A/D
Rec. A/D
Waveform Generator
Waveform Generator
Waveform Controls Clocks

• Future Radar
• Digital Beam Forming
• Multi-beam operation
• Flexible time energy management
• Power Aperture Gain Improvement
• Large high power aperture

AEGIS AN/SPY-1 (Currently Deployed)
VSR (Current Acquisition)
6
Open Architecture Breakout
NAV
Navigation System (NAV)
Combat System (CS)
Process Synchronous Radar Data over
Asynchronous COTS Networks
CS
Radar Controls Status
NAV Data
Processed Data
RCPS (CARP)
Source Clock Local Oscillator
Radar Control Processor Subsystem (RCPS)
Radar Operation Administrative Commands and Status
Transmit Waveforms
Processed Data
Beam Data
Element Data
AS (Future)
DREXS (DAR)
DBFS (CARP)
HMIS (CARP)
DSPS (CARP)
Received Echo Signals
Antenna Subsystem (AS)
Digital Beamformer Subsystem (DBFS)
Digital Receiver/ Exciter Subsystem (DREXS)
Digital Signal Processor Subsystem (DSPS)
Human-Machine Interface Subsystem (HMIS)
Specified hardware software subsystem
interfaces enable multiple vendor, rapid tech
refresh and program re-use
7
DREX OA Developments
X-Band DREX
X-Band
Multiple Digital Receiver Exciters One Common
Interface
C-Band
C-Band DREX
Three S-Band DREXs
S-Band
Down Select
VHF through S-Band
Affordability / Miniaturize
Wideband DREX
8

OA Digital Beam Forming
Fiscal Year 03 04 05 06 07
Build 1 2 3 4 5 Chg
Channels/Board 4 4 4 4 12
3x Boards 1 2 6 18
9 Channels 2 4 22 56
108 50x Beams 1 2 4 16
16 16x Cost/Channel
10K 10K 5K 5K 2.3K
25 Size/Channel 1U 1U 0.25U 0.25U
0.1U 10
All interfaces are Ethernet
Ongoing Improvements to Size, Cost, and Capability
9
Open Back End Processing
10GB Network Switch
Blade Processing
Resource Scheduler
10
Doppler / Detection 1
Doppler / Detection 2
Doppler / Detection N
Open Architecture DSP
Gig-E Gig-E
Gig-E Gig-E
Gig-E Gig-E
PC 1
PC 2
PC M
Radar Control Server
Gig-E Gig-E
bc635 Time Card
Gig-E Gig-E
Gig-E Gig-E
Gig-E Gig-E
GUI Display Server
DSP Interface Server
DSP Scheduler Board
Force 10 Switch
10 Gig-E 10 Gig-E 10 Gig-E 10 Gig-E
Gig-E Gig-E
Gig-E Gig-E
bc635 Time Card
Switch 1 Gig-E
DDM Interface Server
Gig-E Gig-E
bc635 Time Card
Display
1 Gig-E To DDMs, Dual-Bonded 1 Gig-E To Each
Server
11
Navy PAR and MPARSynergy/Differences

• NPAR and MPAR have in common elements of
• T/R Electronics
• Digital Receiver Exciter
• Signal Processing and Controls
• Digital Beam Forming
• NPAR and MPAR have different
• Installations restrictions
• Performance requirements
• Mission requirements
• Procurement quantities
• A well defined OA would allow greater opportunity
  for re-use across the government programs.
• It must support the cost and requirements
  sensitivities of all customers not clear this
  is possible.
• It should result in cost savings.

12
Navy Phased Array RadarSummary

• The primary application of S-band radar
  technology is volume surveillance.
• The Navy is supporting on-going S-band technology
  base and affordability development.
• There are differing mission requirements,
  platform constraints, environmental challenges,
  and cost constraints between NPAR and MPAR.
• The Navy ST strategy includes pushing hardware
  and software Open Architecture into the radar,
  not just the combat system.