Northrop to add GWLR mode to G/ATOR
The US Marine Corps has awarded a contract to Northrop Grumman to develop and test the Ground Weapon Locating Radar (GWLR) mode for the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR), the company announced on 12 October.
The contract is valued at around $59 million.
The GWLR mode is a software update, which brings additional mission capability to the Department of Defense’s ground-based multi-mission Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The software enables the same radar hardware to operate in four different modes, switching between air surveillance, air defense, ground weapon locating, and air traffic control as required by the operator.
G/ATOR will be able to detect and track time-critical incoming threats such as rockets, mortars and artillery rounds using GWLR mode. Once the incoming threats are detected by the radar, the system rapidly analyses their ballistic trajectories and computes their impact points to enable rapid and accurate threat engagement by counterfire forces.
Roshan Roeder, director, ground based tactical radars, land and self-protection systems division, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, said: ‘Inserting this capability into G/ATOR is an important step toward providing the marines with a highly capable and highly versatile system.
'Using an open architecture approach, we're bringing together the best of technology and design experience from ground and airborne applications to create a system that seamlessly facilitates capability upgrades and the insertion of emerging technologies.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Estonian Army receives first 50 of 230 light armoured vehicles]()
Estonian Army receives first 50 of 230 light armoured vehicles
The armoured vehicles are fitted with 12.7mm heavy machine guns and came off the production line with specific Estonian requirements. Only the communications subsystems and some other minor equipment were added to vehicles in Estonia.
-
![Modern militaries crawl towards electrification of the battlefield]()
Modern militaries crawl towards electrification of the battlefield
Full electrification of their land and air vehicles may be beyond modern militaries for now. But how close are they to the tipping point of the widespread use of electric vehicles?
-
![Pearson Engineering to supply mine ploughs and dozer blades for Polish Abrams tanks]()
Pearson Engineering to supply mine ploughs and dozer blades for Polish Abrams tanks
The contract follows news released in 2023 that a first customer had taken into service Pearson Engineering’s new Slice system enabling the interoperability of Front-End Equipment (FEE) between main battle tanks and dedicated engineering vehicles.
-
![Sweden to receive production Archer howitzers next year with capability expected in 2030]()
Sweden to receive production Archer howitzers next year with capability expected in 2030
When compared to some other wheeled artillery systems Archer has the advantage of quicker deployment and relocation as the complete fire mission is carried out without the crew leaving the protected cab at the front.
-
![Aselsan successfully tests Gökberk system against FPV drones]()
Aselsan successfully tests Gökberk system against FPV drones
The system had been previously proven to work against rotary and fixed-wing kamikaze drones, with Aselsan now working on new capabilities for Gökberk to counter UAV swarms.
