Sea-based X-band Radar
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The Sea-based X-band Radar, or SBX, is a self-propelled, semi-submersible radar, which is built upon an oil drilling platform. The radar is comprised of many small radomes, and a single, phased-array, 4-million-pound X-band radar antenna. The radar is described as being 384 square meters, with "well over" 30,000 transmit-receive modules, which are arranged in a widely-spaced configuration. This configuration allows it to support the very-long-range target tracking that THAAD's midcourse segment requires. The array requires over a megawatt of power.
The radar is derived from the radar used in the Aegis combat system, and is a part of the layered ballistic missile defense (BMDS) program of the United States Missile Defense Agency (MDA). One important difference from Aegis is the use of X-band in the SBX. Aegis uses S-band, and Patriot uses C-band. The platform is designed and built by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems for Boeing, the prime contractor on the project for MDA.
The platform is part of the mid-phase missile defense system being deployed by MDA. Being sea-based allows the platform(s) to be moved to areas where they are needed for enhanced missile defense. Fixed radars provide coverage for a very limited area due to the curvature of the Earth.
The first such vessel is based in Adak Island, Alaska, part of the Aleutian Islands. From that location it is able to track missiles over both North Korea and China. Although homeported in Alaska, she will be tasked with moving throughout the Pacific ocean to support her mission.
Her radar is described by Lt. Gen Trey Obering (director of MDA) as being able to track an object the size of a baseball over San Francisco from the Chesapeake Bay (approximately 2900 miles). The radar will guide land-based missiles from Alaska and California, as well as in-theatre assets.
As of 2006, the system has undergone six successful intercept tests (since 2002).
References
Big rigs: Large, powerful radar systems underpin U.S. missile-defense efforts, Goodman, Glen W., C4ISR pp. 26-28, March 2006.External links
- [United States Missile Defense Agency]
- [Boeing Multimedia Sea-Based X-band Radar Image Gallery]
- [Sea-Based X-Band Radar Arrives in Pearl Harbor], 2006-01-10
- [– MDA announces arrival of SBX at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii] (PDF)
- [About Raytheon IDS]
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