AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder Weapon Locating System is a mobile

radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...

system developed in the late 1970s by

Hughes Aircraft Company The Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded on February 14, 1934 by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California, as a division of the Hughes Tool Company. The company produced the Hughes H-4 Hercules air ...

, achieving Initial Operational Capability in 1980 and full deployment in 1984. Currently manufactured by

ThalesRaytheonSystems Thales-Raytheon Systems Company LLC (ThalesRaytheonSystems or TRS) is an aerospace and defence company co-headquartered in Massy, Paris, France and Fullerton, California, United States. It is operated as a 50:50 joint venture between Raytheon T ...

, the system is a long-range version of "weapon-locating radar", designed to detect and track incoming artillery and rocket fire to determine the point of origin for

counter-battery fire Counter-battery fire (sometimes called counter-fire) is a battlefield tactic employed to defeat the enemy's indirect fire elements ( multiple rocket launchers, artillery and mortars), including their target acquisition, as well as their command ...

. It is currently in service at brigade and higher levels in the United States Army and by other countries. The radar is trailer-mounted and towed by a truck. A typical AN/TPQ-37 system consists of the Antenna-Transceiver Group, Command Shelter and 60 kW Generator. Twelve of the radar systems had been delivered to the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

by 2007 under a deal signed in 2002 as a cost of around $200 million. Carrier vehicles and support systems were supplied by

Bharat Earth Movers Limited BEML Limited, formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited, is an Indian public sector undertaking which manufactures a variety of heavy equipment, such as that used for earth moving, railways, transport and mining. It is headquartered in Bangalore. BEM ...

(now, BEML). In accordance with the

Joint Electronics Type Designation System The Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), which was previously known as the Joint Army-Navy Nomenclature System (AN System. JAN) and the Joint Communications-Electronics Nomenclature System, is a method developed by the U.S. War Depa ...

(JETDS), the "''AN/TPQ-37''" designation represents the 37th design of an Army-Navy

electronic device Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other electrically charged particles. It is a subfield of physics and ...

for ground transportable special combination radar system. The JETDS system also now is used to name all

Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

electronic systems.

Operation

The AN/TPQ-37 is an electronically steered radar, meaning the radar does not actually move while in operation. The radar scans a 90-degree sector for incoming rocket, artillery and mortar fire. Upon detecting a possible incoming round, the system verifies the contact before initiating a track sequence, continuing to search for new targets. The incoming round/rocket is tracked during its initial upward/launch trajectory (i.e., the linear portion of its flight path) prior to reaching apogee. A computer program analyzes the track data and then extrapolates the round's point of origin. This calculated point of origin is then reported to the operator with map coordinates, thus allowing friendly artillery to direct counter-battery fire towards the enemy artillery. The system has a reported range of up to . The system may also be operated in a friendly fire mode to determine the accuracy of counterbattery return fire.

Main characteristics

Capabilities * Frequency: S-band, 15 frequencies * Locates mortars, artillery, rocket launchers, and missiles * Locates targets on first round * Performs high-burst, datum-plane, and impact registrations * Adjusts friendly fire * Interfaces with tactical fire * Predicts impact of hostile projectiles Specifications * Azimuth sector: 1600 mils (90 degrees) * Prime power: 115/200 VAC, 400 Hz, 3-phase, 43 kW * Peak transmitted power: 120 kW, min. Features * Permanent storage for 99 targets * Field exercise mode * Digital data interface

Manufacturer

Before acquisition by

Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...

, the

Hughes Aircraft The Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace company, aerospace and defense contractor founded on February 14, 1934 by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California, as a division of the Hughes Tool Company. The company produced the Hughes ...

Co. developed the AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radar at its facility in Fullerton, California, and manufactures it at its plant in Forest, Mississippi.

Upgrades

ROCS for AN/TPQ-36 and AN/TPQ-37 The 'radar operational control system upgrade' is manufactured by BES Electronic Systems Ltd in Israel * The WLU drum (see right-hand image on http://www.bes.co.il/FireFinder_RCS.htm) is replaced with two 19" LCD screens. Weapon Locations and impacts are displayed on electronic map. * Radar Shelter includes two Work-Stations for two radar operators. Additional operators can join with optional Notebooks. * Windows XP Embedded, menus, screens and full GIS electronic maps. * Automatic operation and high speed AHC using DTED Level II (30 meters between elevation points) to enhance accuracy of weapon location process. * Support of many digital formats of electronic maps, for example GeoTIFF, Shape files, CADRG, DXF, etc. * Weapon locations are displayed on various projections such as UTM, GIS, RSO, Lambert, etc. * Automatic Initialization. High-speed radar programs loading from ROCS computer. (Raymond Cassette is removed) * Shelter can be controlled from remote using Notebook via LAN. * Recording of radar operation for off line debriefing. Recording includes weapons, impacts, Friendly registration targets, etc. * Storage of up to 500 hostile targets. * 50 Artillery Zones, defined by clicking the electronic map. * Option for custom-made protocols to communicate radar data and targets to remote Users such as Command & Control, batteries, etc. * UPS with enhanced 28VDC supply system.

References

External links