R&D In Navy Phased Array Radar

Dr. Michael A. Pollock

Office of Naval Research, ONR 312

Surface and Aerospace Surveillance

National Symposium on Multi-function Phased Array

Current State of Military Investments in Phased Array Radar

October 11, 2007

Navy Phased Array RadarHighlights

• Navy is conducting research and development (R&D) 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 S&T strategy includes pushing hardware and software Open Architecture into the radar, not just the combat system.

Surface Combatant Missions

Volume SearchAir Control

Missile Track / Mid - CourseCommunications

Missile Track / Mid - CourseCommunications

Electronic ProtectionElectronic Protection

HorizonSearch

HorizonSearch

TargetTrack

TargetTrack

TargetIllumination

TargetIllumination

TrackWhile Scan

TrackWhile ScanSurface

SearchSurfaceSearch

PeriscopeDetectionPeriscopeDetection

Volume Functions

Horizon Functions

Volume SearchVolume Search

Aircraft ControlAircraft Control

Ship Self-defenseShip Self-defense

Solid State SPY (S-Band)

High Power Discriminator (X-Band)

MFR• Horizon Search

• Missile Illumination

High Power Discrimination

Long-Range Search

Volume SurveillanceVolume Surveillance

High power, S-Band Advanced Radar (SBAR)High power, multi-function radar (X-band)

Navy Radar Roadmap Studies

ASN (RDA)

OPNAV

RADAR RESOURCE

STUDY

TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP

RARST

ROSA

Fire Control RadarsFire Control Radars

TBMD / Area AAWTBMD / Area AAW

Air Search RadarsAir Search Radars

Air Traffic Control RadarsAir Traffic Control Radars

Current Fleet Radars

Current Fleet Radars

CAS / STIR

MK-95SPQ-9

SPG-60SPG-62

SPY-1 A

MK-23 TAS

SPS-40SPS-49

SPS-48CSPS-48E

SPS-52

SPN-43SPN-41

SPN-46

SPY-1 BSPY-1 D

SPY-1B,D(V)Area TBMD

Radar Upgrades

Near-Term(2000-2005)Near-Term(2000-2005)

NTWRadar Upgrades

Mid-Term(2005-2012)Mid-Term

(2005-2012)

TAMD Radar Suite(Solid State S-Band,

HPD-X)

Far-Term(2012+)

Far-Term(2012+)

SPS-49ASPS-48E

VSR VSR

SPQ-9B MFR MFR

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

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

Navy Phased Array Evolution

Analog BeamformerAnalog Beamformer

Analog Beam FormerAnalog Beam Former

T/RT/R T/RT/R T/RT/R T/RT/R

LNALNA

Rec.A/DRec.A/D

Rec.A/DRec.A/D Waveform

Controls& Clocks

WaveformControls& Clocks

Passive Array Active Element Digital Array

AEGIS AN/SPY-1

(Currently Deployed)

VSR

(Current Acquisition)

Future RadarDigital Beam Forming

• Multi-beam operation

Flexible time energy management

Power Aperture Gain Improvement

• Large high power aperture

Digital Beam FormerDigital Beam Former

TDDS

TDDS

RA/DR

A/DT

DDST

DDSR

A/DR

A/DT

DDST

DDSR

A/DR

A/D

High PowerAmplifierHigh PowerAmplifier

WaveformGeneratorWaveformGenerator

WaveformGeneratorWaveformGenerator

Open Architecture Breakout

AS(Future)

DREXS(DAR)

DBFS(CARP)

HMIS(CARP)

NAV

DSPS(CARP)

CS

RCPS(CARP)

Radar Controls& Status

Radar Operation Administrative Commands and Status

Processed Data

Beam Data

Element Data

Processed Data

Source Clock & Local Oscillator

Received Echo

Signals

TransmitWaveforms

Digital BeamformerSubsystem

(DBFS)

AntennaSubsystem

(AS)

Digital Receiver/Exciter Subsystem

(DREXS)

Digital Signal Processor Subsystem

(DSPS)

Human-MachineInterface Subsystem

(HMIS)

NavigationSystem(NAV)

CombatSystem

(CS)

Radar Control ProcessorSubsystem (RCPS)

NAV Data

Specified hardware & software subsystem interfaces enable multiple vendor, rapid tech refresh and

program re-use

Process Synchronous RadarData over Asynchronous

COTS Networks

DREX OA DevelopmentsS-

Band

VHF

thro

ugh

S-Ba

ndC

-Ban

dX-

Band

Down Select

Affordability / Miniaturize

Three S-Band DREXs

Wideband DREX

C-Band DREX

X-Band DREX

Multiple Digital Receiver ExcitersOne Common Interface

Fiscal Year 03 04 05 06 07

OA Digital Beam Forming

0 0 0 0 0 0 3210 4 5 6 7 8 0 0000 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 9 13121110 14 15 16 17 18 19 00020 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 21 25242322 26 27 28 29 30 31 00032 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 33 37363534 38 39 40 41 42 43 00044 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 4746450 48 49 50 51 52 0 0000 0 0

Build : 1 2 3 4 5 Chg Channels/Board: 4 4 4 4 12 3xBoards: 1 2 6 18 9Channels: 2 4 22 56 108 50xBeams: 1 2 4 16 16 16xCost/Channel: $10K $10K $5K $5K $2.3K 25%Size/Channel: 1U 1U 0.25U 0.25U 0.1U 10%

Ongoing Improvements to Size, Cost, and Capability

All interfaces are Ethernet

Open Back End Processing

10GBNetworkSwitch

BladeProcessing

ResourceScheduler

Switch1 Gig-E

DDM Interface Server

Gig-EGig-E

bc635 Time Card

1 Gig-E To DDM’s, Dual-Bonded 1 Gig-E To Each Server

GUI Display Server

Radar Control Server

Gig-EGig-E

Display

Gig-EGig-E

bc635 Time Card

DSP Interface Server

Gig-EGig-E

bc635 Time Card

Open Architecture DSP

Force 10 Switch

Doppler / Detection 1

Gig-EGig-E

Doppler / Detection 2

Doppler / Detection N

Gig-EGig-E

Gig-EGig-E

PC 1

Gig-EGig-E

PC 2 PC M

Gig-EGig-E

Gig-EGig-E

DSP Scheduler Board

10 Gig-E10 Gig-E10 Gig-E10 Gig-E

DDM ATCA Chassis 2

RB

F 1

1

RB

F 9

CB

F 3

RB

F 3

RB

F 1

0

RB

F 4

RB

F 5

RB

F 1

2

CB

F 4

RB

F 6

RB

F 7

RB

F 8

spar

e

spar

e

DDM ATCA Chassis 1

RB

F 1

4

spar

e

CB

F 1

RB

F 1

RB

F 1

3

RB

F 2

CB

F 2

spar

e

spar

e

spar

e

spar

e

spar

e

spar

e

spar

e

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.

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 S&T strategy includes pushing hardware and software Open Architecture into the radar, not just the combat system.