The deployment of US missile defense systems like the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) and the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) has elicited strong responses from US adversaries like China and Russia. More than the defense systems, the missile defense radar is the real nightmare for American adversaries.
The Army/Navy Transportable Radar Surveillance (AN/TPY-2) is a Raytheon product that bolsters the system’s defense against a range of threats and offers assistance for heightened protection. The TPY-2, a high-resolution X-band phased array radar, can be transported via truck, ship, and air.
The AN/TPY-2 was designed in tandem with the THAAD ballistic missile defense system and has the ability to track targets at a considerable distance as well as trigger other American missile defense systems.
The AN/TPY-2 is a missile defense radar that can detect, track, and discriminate ballistic missiles to make it easier to shoot them down. This radar operates in two modes: forward-based mode for boost phase surveillance, terminal mode for terminal phase surveillance, and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) for fire support. Each mode is intended to fulfill a distinct set of needs. The Aegis platform is one of the systems that can provide space domain awareness.
The US Army uses the TPY-2 to provide the Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) system of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), using regional and strategic ballistic missile threat data in conjunction with its allies.
The main advantage of using the X-band frequency is that it can distinguish between threats like a warhead from other small objects like space trash. The TPY-2 radar can provide the BMDS with precise tracking data due to a discrimination feature known as “range resolution.”
The AN/TPY-2 can operate in two modes: forward-based Mode (FBM) and Terminal Mode (TM).
