Active Phased Array Radar (APAR) is a shipborne

active electronically scanned array An active electronically scanned array (AESA) is a type of phased array antenna, which is a computer-controlled antenna array in which the beam of radio waves can be electronically steered to point in different directions without moving the a ...

multifunction 3D radar (MFR) developed and manufactured by Thales Nederland. The radar receiver modules are developed and built in the US by the Sanmina Corporation.

Characteristics

APAR has four fixed (i.e., non-rotating)

sensor array A sensor array is a group of sensors, usually deployed in a certain geometry pattern, used for collecting and processing electromagnetic or acoustic signals. The advantage of using a sensor array over using a single sensor lies in the fact that an ...

s (faces), fixed on a pyramidal structure. Each face consists of 3424 transmit/receive (TR) modules operating at

X band The X band is the designation for a band of frequencies in the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of the X band is set at approximately 7.0–11.2&nbs ...

frequencies.Jane's Radar and Electronic Warfare Systems, 2007–2008 Edition, Edited by Martin Streetly, The radar provides the following capabilities: * air target tracking of over 200 targets out to 150 km * surface target tracking of over 150 targets out to 32 km * horizon search out to 75 km * "limited" volume search out to 150 km (in order to back up the volume search capabilities of the SMART-L) * cued search (a mode in which the search is cued using data originating from another sensor) * surface naval gunfire support *

missile guidance Missile guidance refers to a variety of methods of guiding a missile or a guided bomb to its intended target. The missile's target accuracy is a critical factor for its effectiveness. Guidance systems improve missile accuracy by improving its P ...

using the Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI) technique, thus allowing guidance of 32

semi-active radar homing Semi-active radar homing (SARH) is a common type of missile guidance system, perhaps the most common type for longer-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems. The name refers to the fact that the missile itself is only a passive dete ...

missiles in flight simultaneously, including 16 in the terminal guidance phaseJane's Navy International, October 2005, "Live firing tests rewrite the guiding principles" * "innovative" Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM) Note: all ranges listed above are instrumented ranges.

Usage

APAR is installed on four

Royal Netherlands Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy (, ) is the Navy, maritime service branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It traces its history to 8 January 1488, making it the List of navies, third-oldest navy in the world. During the 17th and early 18th centurie ...

(RNLN) LCF De Zeven Provinciën class

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

s, three

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is part of the unified (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Marine'' (German Navy) became the official ...

F124 Sachsen class

s, and three

Royal Danish Navy The Royal Danish Navy (, ) is the Naval warfare, sea-based branch of the Danish Armed Forces force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Denmark, Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Islands and ...

Iver Huitfeldt class

s. The Netherlands and Germany (along with Canada) were the original sponsors for the development of APAR. Denmark selected APAR for their

s as part of a larger decision to select a Thales Nederland anti-air warfare system (designed around the APAR and SMART-L

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 ...

s, the

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ESSM and SM-2 missile systems, and the

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

Mk-41 vertical launch system) over the competing Sea Viper anti-air warfare system (designed around the S1850M and

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

SAMPSON

s, the

MBDA MBDA is a European multinational corporation specialized in the design, development and manufacturing of Missile, missiles and related systems.Aster 15/30 missile systems, and the

MBDA MBDA is a European multinational corporation specialized in the design, development and manufacturing of Missile, missiles and related systems.SYLVER vertical launch system).

Live missile firings

APAR's missile guidance capability supports the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile ( ESSM) and the SM-2 Block IIIA missile. In November 2003, approximately from the

Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...

, the missile guidance capabilities were tested with live firings for the first time. The firings were performed by the RNLN's HNLMS ''De Zeven Provinciën'' and involved the firing of a single ESSM and a single SM-2 Block IIIA. These firings were the first ever live firings involving a full-size ship-borne

Active Electronically Scanned Array An active electronically scanned array (AESA) is a type of phased array antenna, which is a computer-controlled antenna array in which the beam of radio waves can be electronically steered to point in different directions without moving the a ...

guiding missiles using the ICWI technique in an operational environment.Jane's International Defence Review, February 2004, "Active phased array multifunction radars go live for missile firings" As related by Jane's Navy International:

During the tracking and missile-firing tests, target profiles were provided by Greek-built EADS/3Sigma Iris PVK medium-range subsonic target drones. ..According to the RNLN, ... "APAR immediately acquired the missile and maintained track until destruction". ..These ground-breaking tests represented the world's first live verification of the ICWI technique.

In August 2004, a German Navy Sachsen class

completed a series of live missile firings at the Point Mugu missile launch range off the coast of California that included a total of 11 ESSM and 10 SM-2 Block IIIA missiles. The tests included firings against target drones such as the Northrop Grumman BQM-74E Chukkar III and Teledyne Ryan BQM-34S Firebee I, as well as against missile targets such as the Beech AQM-37C and air-launched Kormoran 1 anti-ship missiles. Further live firings were performed by the RNLN's HNLMS ''De Zeven Provinciën'' in March 2005, again in the Atlantic Ocean approximately west of the Azores. The tests involved three live-firing events including firing a single SM-2 Block IIIA at an Iris target drone at long range, a single ESSM at an Iris target drone, and a two-salvo launch (with one salvo comprising two SM-2 Block IIIAs and the other comprising two ESSMs) against two incoming Iris target drones. The long-range SM-2 engagement apparently resulted in an intercept at a range of greater than 100 km from the ship, with a missile-target miss distance of 2,4m/8 feet (the warhead's proximity fuse having been disabled for the purposes of the test).

Operational concept

APAR is typically paired with Thales Nederland's SMART-L passive electronically scanned array radar (which operates at L band frequencies). SMART-L is a long-range Volume Search Radar (VSR) that is able to provide volume search and tracking out to 480 km. The whole system is called Anti-Air Warfare Systems (AAWS), and is based on the NATO Anti-Air Warfare (NAAWS) concept of the late 1980s. The principle behind this concept is that an

MFR coupled with an L band VSR provides the optimal combination of complementary capabilities: the VSR is optimized for long range detection and tracking of targets, while the MFR is optimized for medium range high accuracy tracking of targets, as well as horizon search and missile guidance functions.

Counter-piracy operations

Ships of the RNLN's ''De Zeven Provinciën'' class have been involved in counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa. The untraditional target set (i.e., small slow-moving or even static surface targets) can apparently be challenging for doppler radars designed to take on "high end" threats. However, according to Jane's International Defence Review:

he RNLN hasreported great success using tailored surface-search software for the APAR sets fitted to the De Zeven Provinciën-class
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
s deployed on anti-piracy roles. By sacrificing some of APAR's high-end anti-air warfare capabilities, which were deemed unnecessary for the anti-piracy role, its performance and resolution were improved in the surface-search role.Jane's International Defence Review, September 2010, "Fighting the hydra: multinational piracy operations move inshore"

The exploits of the RNLN's ''De Zeven Provinciën'' class frigate HNLMS ''Tromp'' in regards to counter-piracy operations — including the April 2010 rescue of the container ship MV ''Taipan'' — are described here. The counter-piracy exploits of the HNLMS ''Evertsen'' are outlined here.

Notes

Sources

* ''Jane's International Defence Review'', September 2010, "Fighting the hydra: multinational piracy operations move inshore" * ''Jane's Navy International'', August 2010, "Expanding coverage from sea to sky" * ''Jane's Radar and Electronic Warfare Systems'', 2007–2008 Edition, Edited by Martin Streetly, {{ISBN, 978-0-7106-2811-4 * ''Jane's Navy International'', October 2005, "Live firing tests rewrite the guiding principles" * ''Jane's International Defence Review'', February 2004, "Active phased array multifunction radars go live for missile firings"

External links

Manufacturer page about APAR

Thales Canada page about APAR TMU development

Thales Nederland page about March 2005 missile firings supported by APAR

NavalTechnology page about De Zeven Provinciën class frigates

NavalTechnology page about Sachsen class frigates
Naval radars Phased array radar Thales Group Military radars of the Netherlands Radar Phased arrays