UK moves closer to declaring AN/TPS-77 air defence radar fully operational

[Zarvan]

The UK has established three new AN/TPS-77 radars on the east coast of England to mitigate the effects of offshore windfarms on its surveillance coverage. Source: Lockheed Martin
The United Kingdom is to declare its three newly installed Lockheed Martin AN/TPS-77 ground-based long-range air surveillance radar systems to be fully operational with the completion of trials against airborne targets set for late 2015, the government disclosed on 9 March.

Answering questions in the House of Commons, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Dunne, said one of the three radars, which were procured to mitigate the effects of 'clutter' caused by onshore and offshore windfarms on the Royal Air Force's (RAF's) current surveillance systems, has already undergone flight trials and that those of the remaining two will commence before the end of the year. All three will be declared fully operational once these flight trials have been completed.

"The Ministry of Defence [MoD] has installed three TPS-77 air defence radars since 2011," he said. "These radars have completed Site Acceptance Testing, and one of the radars [at Trimingham, on the coast of East Anglia] has [undergone trials against airborne targets and] been declared at initial operating capability [IOC]."

"Work continues to reach IOC on the other two radars [at Brizlee Wood, near the coast of Northumbria, and at Staxton Wold in North Yorkshire], which is expected this year. Full operating capability [FOC] will follow flight testing of these radars against specific windfarms, with the first flight test planned for late 2015."

According to the minister, the results of the trials of the first radar at Trimingham are currently being assessed ahead of the commencement of trials at the other two sites. "The MoD has no plans to publish the results of the flight trials for national security and commercial reasons," Dunne said.
UK moves closer to declaring AN/TPS-77 air defence radar fully operational - IHS Jane's 360

 

[ali_raza]

its strange that we bought these before a dacade.