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\u201cSensors aren\u2019t sexy,\u201d said Cliff Johnson, a director for business development in tactical radars at Raytheon.<\/p>\nDos radares multifunci\u00f3n, KuRFS y Sentinel de Raytheon, mantienen una vigilancia precisa y persistente de amenazas, incluso mientras se buscan nuevos objetivos. KuRFS, o el sistema de radiofrecuencia de la banda Ku, es un radar de 360 \u200b\u200bgrados, se puede configurar en 30 minutos, ya sea en una ubicaci\u00f3n fija o en un veh\u00edculo.<\/p>\n
\u201cSensors aren\u2019t sexy,\u201d said Cliff Johnson, a director for business development in tactical radars at Raytheon.<\/p>\n
Yet radars help\u00a0military operators distinguish between friend or foe. Without it, they might as well be using binoculars.<\/p>\n
To\u00a0detect\u00a0and identify\u00a0an airborne object, a radar relies on its command and control, the brains of the system. The information it\u00a0collects alerts\u00a0those it defends to possible danger and helps them decide how to deal with it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the data shows it\u2019s hostile, then the brain looks for a way to engage and defend,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Two multi-function radars, Raytheon\u2019s KuRFS and Sentinel, maintain high-fidelity tracks on targets even as they search for\u00a0new targets.<\/p>\n
KuRFS, or the Ku-band Radio Frequency System, is a 360-degree radar that cues defensive weapons. It can\u00a0be set up within 30 minutes, either in a fixed location or on a vehicle.<\/p>\n
Raytheon built the KuRFS multi-mission radar to help the U.S. Army defend against rocket, artillery and mortar attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, it is also used as a counter-drone radar. It works with multiple weapons systems, including the land-based Phalanx Weapon System, 50-caliber guns, 30mm cannons and the Coyote unmanned aircraft system.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth KuRFS and Sentinel are eyes in the sky,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Sentinel, technically known as AN\/MPQ-64, is a radar that alerts front-line, air-defense weapons to hostile planes, helicopters, drones or missiles. It has three-dimensional coverage, reporting the range, bearing and elevation of the objects it is tracking.<\/p>\n
With more than 300 systems deployed around the world, the Sentinel radar is relied upon for short-range to medium-range detection.<\/p>\n
WATCHING THE DRONES<\/strong><\/p>\n Both radars can detect low-flying, small, slow drones, Johnson said. That specific mission helps to close the threat gap that other sensors might miss.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the smaller drones, operators have less to detect due to smaller wing, motor and engine sizes, and they fly slower that many radars are tuned for,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Engagement is the endgame, according to Johnson.<\/p>\n Raytheon\u2019s directed energy systems work with radar to identify and track incoming drones. The high-energy laser system, or HEL, uses\u00a0 beams of focused light to take down small, fast-moving targets like drones or mortars.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the unique things about the high-energy laser is that because it moves at the speed of light, it can (very quickly) take a drone down,\u201d said Michael Hofle, HEL product line lead at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems.<\/p>\n When swarms of drones attack, ground troops can use a high-power microwave that emits an adjustable energy beam to disrupt and down unmanned aircraft systems. There is also the Stinger missile, which is now equipped with a proximity fuse that allows it to destroy drones by detonating near them.<\/p>\n All of these engagement options depend on a\u00a0capable radar.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t have the ability to see the target, you minimize the ability to engage the targets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n