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Widening
Ground Surveillance Radars (GSR) are used in range of applications including battlefield surveillance, border security, facilities/perimeter security, coastal surveillance and fire correction for artillery support. With the switch in military focus from the high intensity conventional battlefield, to the nuanced environment of asymmetric warfare, rules of engagement are becoming increasingly precise, leading to greater calls on a systems ability to provide greater detail about the target. In addition to detection, classification and ultimately identification, other performance factors have also come into scrutiny particularly for infantry centric operations where portability is king, with robustness, low weight and power-efficiency becoming pre-eminent. by Adam Baddeley

Perceptions

Using ground surveillance radar as the basis for a multi-sensor platform is a straightforward and capable solution (Source: AJB)

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t the start of operations in Afghanistan and particularly in Iraq, the US had a deficit of surveillance assets. The principle GSR of the time was the ageing AN/PPS-5A/B. This stock has been subsequently supplemented by a range of upgrades, new builds and imported solutions to meet demand. Syracuse Research Corporation (SRC) has been very active in this area, initially providing an upgrade to the existing PPS5, to the D standard. Weighing 40Kg the D operates from 16.21 to 16.5GHz and can detect out to 10km versus personnel and 20km versus vehicles. The next step was a further improvement to create the PPS-5 Enhanced, which boosted range to 30km and improved performance within that coverage, including the provision of integrated GPS and electronic compass for improved target location. SRCs Lightweight Surveillance and Track Acquisition Radar (LSTAR) developed in parallel to the PPS-5 upgrades, is based on the companys earlier Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar. It provides a 360 degree electronically scanned solution and is the only available radar with non rotating 360 degree coverage. Scan time is 1-3 seconds, depending on range and has a range of 25Km, with faster update rates possible with sector scanning. The system is protected via a rugged enclosure from winds of up to 150Mph and hurricane force rain. An IP based solution, its features include a HUMS and a control system that can be accessed via a web browser. The system weighs 114Kg including pedestal mount. Without it, the weight drops to just 68Kg. The company is currently completing what is described as a cost effective version of its PPS-5 upgrade, known as the SR Hawk, designed for border and perimeter security tasks. The system is due to complete its assessment from an undisclosed US customer in 2008 with sales expected to flow from that. The company

has recently been given permission to begin marketing the system overseas. SR Hawk has the ability to detect targets from 30-60Km is a single operating mode simultaneously and is designed to operate in all weathers via its antenna design. The system has continuous 360 degree coverage with a 1.7 degree beam width. It is frequency agile from 16.21 to 16.5GHz and can detect a single walking person from 60m-10Km with vehicles detected at 60m to 30Km, with a range accuracy of 10m with targets moving at 0.9Kmph or higher. The system has a built in target trackers. The US Army has tested its Wireless

Modem linking multiple radars for remote operation to a central control hub. The system uses a simple, Windows based man machine interface, which includes a Plan Position Indicator with multiple image formats being implemented. The radar weighs 18.2Kg with a transport weight in a shipping container of just 81.2Kg.

Deployment on small 4x4 tactical vehicles gives these platforms a capable ISR capability (Source : AJB)

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Telephonics manufactures the IAI Elta EL/M-2129 GSR under license as the ARSS (Advanced Radar Surveillance System) where it has been adopted for the border security role in two versions manportable and a vehicle or container based solution. DRS Sustainment Systems provide the PPS-5C Man-Portable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar (MSTAR) offered under license from Thales and being USAF Integrated Base Defense Security System. When integrated with an EO/IR payload, the system is offered as the ARGUS. The EADS Tactical Radar Ground Surveillance, an active phased array radar, is on the heavy side of the scale, often shown

operating from a Dingo 2 4x4 protected vehicle. Operating in X-band it can detect infantry at 23km, helicopters at 40km and the impact of a 155mm shell at 35km. Each member of IAIs ELTAs EL/M2112 Persistent Ground Surveillance Family has up to four stationary planar antennas, each providing 90 degree coverage and includes simultaneous beam technology which can detect both ground or sea surface targets, offering up to 360 degree instantaneous sector coverage. The user has the choice of seeing targets represented in 2D or 3D digital mapping. The system operates in X-Band and can track over 500 targets simultaneously with a range accuracy of 1-2m. The system is offered in five variants, down to the smallest, the EL/M-2107 which can detect walking persons and vehicles at 300m while the most capable, the EL/M-2112 can detect a walking person at 20,000m and vehicles at twice that. Other systems mimic radar functionality. Magna BSP uses a stereoscopic electro-optic effect, using two FLIR/CCD camera to determine range, direction, speed elevation, size and azimuth and track targets, just like a radar but in a passive manner to avoid detection with a false alarm rate of less than one per day and is able to operate in sand, smoke and dust. The company offers four solutions; the Owl, Eagle, HAWK and

British firm Plextek recently secured a $3.5m for several of its Blighter radars to meet a UK Urgent Operational Requirement
SCOPS. The last is a mini-staring radar system which can be deployed and handled by one man and detects static and moving human targets at up to 100m. British firm Plextek recently secured a $3.5m for several of its Blighter radars to meet a UK Urgent Operational Requirement. The company offers two main solutions; the Blighter 202 for Special Forces, capable of detecting crawler at 1.5km and an upright man at 3km which can be set up in three minutes from single backpack and weighs just 15.5Kg and the B4x2 family for border surveillance which has longer range, wide area coverage reaching up to 16km including crawlers at over 3km. Blighter has recently been tested with British Army artillery units to accurately measure fall of fire. Thales UK MSTAR is widely used in a range of roles and with peak output power of 4W, power consumption is low and the system weighs just 37.5Kg. The system can detect targets from 100m out to 55Km with a walking man detected at 12km and location accurate to less than 10m. EMC testing has cleared the systems for use on a number of tactical vehicles. Bulgarian firm SAMEL 90 produce the X-band Star S-90 radar, which automatically detects the usual range of targets including gliders and helicopters at ranges of up to 20km. Operators select the required sector search from 12-359 degrees. The system has a set up time of less than five minutes and weighs 25Kg. Chinas main offering in the arena is the man portable JY-17 and longer range JY17A. The JY-17 is offered by the East China Research Institute of Electronic Engineering and provides a J-band maximum detection range of 5km for vehicles and 2km personnel. The JY-17A provides a medium range capability. Bharat Electronics has two principle offerings in this area, the Battle Field Surveillance Radar (MFSR) in Medium
SRCs SR Hawk is designed for both domestic and export markets outside the US (Source: AJB)

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For the perimeter role, Pro Patria also offers the PSF-2 Mongoose which shares the same software, but has a much smaller range. Designed to be placed on walls and pedestals as part of grids for close-in roles such as facility security, with a typical detection range of 4km versus personnel and 8km against vehicles, it can scan 360 degrees in less than nine seconds. The entire unit weighs 12kg and with a single battery load lasts for 12 hours. A similar system is the IAI Elta C-band EL/M-2107 ADMIR (Advanced Miniature Movement Detection Digital Radar), which reaches out to 200m when detecting individuals and at 3.5Kg, is designed to be fitted to poles or perimeter fences. Indras 42kg Arine, developed using licensed MSTAR technology is a pulse compression radar operating in J band and can detect a crawling man at 3km and a standing man at 10km with MBTs at 24km and can be installed on a tripod or a vehicle.

Multi-sensor platforms
Integrating multiple sensors on single platform is increasingly being pursued by militaries with demands being met by manufacturers. Thales Ravel or Radar Vehicle Light places the BOR-A 550 long Range GSR on a elevated mast up to 4m in height and can be operated from a Panhard PVP. The system can detect people at 19km, vehicles at 40km and ships at 80Km and also low flying helicopters at 36Km. The X-Band BORA 550 operates in X-band and has achieved maximum instrumented ranges of 80km in a five sector or 360 degree surveillance areas. Scan speeds are variable and can reach up to 32 degrees per second and can detect objects moving at a speed of 1.5Kmph, with the system having a comprehensive ECCM capability. Some 15 customers have acquired the BOR-A 550. The radar can also be operated in a dismounted mode, linked to the vehicles external communications via a 100m Ethernet cable. Thales previously produced the widely exported Rasit and RB12B GSRs Vinhogs Vingtaqs II Long Range Target acquisition system and laser designation takes the Thales Squire radar, matched with a Vinghog day sight and a Sagem MATIS thermal imager. At Eurosatory the system was deployed on a CV90 Reconnaissance System to demonstrate a capability for a Norwegian Recce vehicle

Thales Ground Alerter is a highly capable solution designed to warn troops of incoming indirect fires (Source: AJB)

Range (MR) and Short Range variants. The BFSR-MR can detect moving targets at up to 40km distance against heavy vehicles and 15km against individuals, and is designed to be broken down and carried by three men with deployment taking less than five minutes. The BFSR-SR has a range of 500m against a crawling man and 2km when walking with up to 10km versus a heavy moving vehicle. Hungarian firm Pro Patria Electronics

Thales Ravel or Radar Vehicle Light places the BOR-A 550 long Range GSR on a elevated mast up to 4m in height

have produced the PGSR-2i Beagle, which is designed to be carried by two men in backpack loads. Users can select between a 360 continuous rotation mode or within a sector setting of up to 17 degrees. Control is via the companys own Adaptive Area Control Software, hosted within a user selected ruggedised laptop or other PC and can be scalable to a network of several dozen radars for base or extended perimeters, such as a border or similar military area of operation. The systems I/J-band, patch antenna systems can detect personnel at 10km and larger vehicles such as MBTs at 25km with a minimum radial speed of 1.7Kmph with a target capacity of over 12 tracks per scan and a memory for storing up over 1000 targets. The company claims a 5000 hour MTBF.

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requirement. Israel Aerospace Industries EL/I-3302 RADMIP systems is designed to offer GSR and EO/IR surveillance from 4x4 vehicles such as a Land Rover, using stabilised mast which has a full levelling capability when for example it is operating on a reverse slope. Pro Patria Electronics match two or more PGSR-2i Beagles in a single MGS3 Scout, a generic 4x4 such as the Land Rover or G-Wagon vehicle, allowing sensors to be dismounted for a distributed surveillance network.

deployed at subordinate unit level. United States Special Operations Command funded the development of SRCs Lightweight Counter Mortar radar in 2001, with the US Army declaring it one of the Top Ten Greatest Inventions of 2004. Reflecting the user communitys need, the system is lightweight at 120lbs, carried by two men and requires just 20 minutes setup time and five minutes to tear down. The system can also be parachuted in with troops in

a standard door bundle if required. The electronic scanned antenna system has 360 degree coverage, elevation of 30 degrees and can be interfaced with response systems via the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System and can be powered from multiple power sources including HMMWV DC power. Thales V/UHF lightweight Ground Alerter 10 has been systemized to link the detection of indirect fire threats in a 360

Bharat Electronics has a developed a family of solutions to meet GSR needs (Source: AJB)

Looking down
To operate more effectively, radars need an improved perspective or height. In fixed positions this can be easily remedied by constructing a tower. For vehicle mounted or rapidly deployable systems, telescoped towers are being deployed. Falck Schmidts Elevated Mast Platform is a vehicle mounted, armoured solution that can normally support a payload of 250Kg, customisable up to 1500Kg that can reach up to 5m with an intelligent control systems that can interface with a vehicle BMS. Will Burts Stiletto HD, which has been installed on a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Unmanned Ground Vehicle, offers partial extension while on the move. With a payload of up to 151Kg in either ten or six meter mounts, both of which use electric screw drives to achieve elevation, which can be achieved in 45 and 30 seconds respectively. The earlier Silletto version offers an at-the-halt elevation of up to 15m, requiring 10 minutes to fully deploy with a 57Kg payload possible.

Counter battery
A subset of ground surveillance is indirect fire location to detect, classify, track and determine the location of enemy indirect fire such as mortars, artillery and rockets. Typically deployed at brigade and divisional level, operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen them successfully

Will Burts Stiletto HD, which has been installed on a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Unmanned Ground Vehicle, offers partial extension while on the move
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degree, 10km bubble around each device, providing the location of the attack and alert those within the predicted area of effect of the incoming, 60-120mm projectiles. One of the most recent additions in the counter battery radar role is the Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 or EQ-36 Counterfire Target Acquisition Radar, first shown during AUSA October 2007, following a $120m contract award in January that year. Developed by Lockheed Martin and SRC the systems has seen rapid insertion of technology, principally in terms of trans-

The Thales Raytheon Systems TPQ-37 Firefinder, is a larger, longer range version of the in service TPQ-36.
mit/receive modules, antenna array and solid state technology, to enable better performance against close in mortar attacks as well as long range rocket fire. The system is carried and supported by two MTV trucks and is carried by either a C130 or heavy transport helicopter. The system is also compatible with the Armys Army

Battle Command System. Ultimately the legacy TPQ-36, TPQ-37 will be replaced by the new radar, with the first two radars due to be delivered in Summer 2009. In September 2008, it was announced that the Army had made an award of $152m to acquire an additional 12 systems. The Thales Raytheon Systems TPQ-37 Firefinder, is a larger, longer range version of the in service TPQ-36. The systems can detect artillery at up to 30km, rockets at 50km and operates over 15 frequencies at S-band. The system can detect ten weapons simultaneously with permanent storage of 99 targets. India is one of the most recent customers acquiring 12 AN/TPQ-37(V)3 artillery-locating radars in a $142.4 million deal in 2002. Also on the Heavy-end of the scale is the EuroART COBRA Counter Battery Radar, developed for the Cold war requirement of the UK, France and Germany and subsequently exported. One of most successful lightweight solutions is the Saab Microwave Systems ARTHUR or Artillery Hunting radar. The can be integrated on a vehicle with a weight of 2500kg or as a palletized load in a bespoke contains and suitable for any vehicle with a payload of 4000Kg. In UK service, ARTHUR is known as the Mobile Artillery Monitoring Battlefield Radar, and integrated onto BAE Systems Hgglunds Bv 206. ARTHUR can track over 100 targets per minute using a pulse doppler radar in C-band in 90 degree sector scans, delivering the location of enemy fire down to less than 25m CEP. Spain is its most recent announced customer, acquiring several systems in a 59m deal in 2007. The UK has recently commenced its replacement for both its ARTHUR and COBRA radars into a single design potentially capable of detection at 100km but no less, than 30km with trial of the largely off the shelf systems planned for 2009 and subsequent entry into service in 2012-13 AMR

Radars are becoming increasingly compact allowing deployment by backpack (Source: AJB)

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