The Sentinel’s mission is to alert and or cue Avenger, the Bradley Linebacker or dismounted Stinger teams of hostile and unknown aircraft, cruise missiles (CMs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), protect friendly forces from fratricide and provide air situational data to command and control centers. The Sentinel Radar is the key air surveillance and target acquisition/tracking sensor for short-range air defense (SHORAD) weapons in the division and corps sectors. The Sentinel is accurate, quick-reacting and acquires targets sufficiently beyond the forward line of own troops (FLOT) to reduce SHORAD weapon reaction time and allow engagement at optimum ranges.
The system consists of a state-of-the-art three-dimensional battlefield radar which uses modern phased-array antenna technology, a prime mover with a tactical quiet generator and radios, identification friend or foe (IFF) and interfaces to the forward area air defense (FAAD)command and control (C2) network. The sensor is an advanced three dimensional battlefield X-band air defense phased-array radar with an instrumented range of 40 km. The Sentinel is capable of operating day or night, in adverse weather conditions, in the battlefield environments of dust, smoke, aerosols, and enemy countermeasures. It provides 360 degree azimuth coverage for acquisition and tracking. The Sentinel contributes to the digital battlefield by automatically detecting, tracking, classifying, identifying, and reporting targets, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft. Targets can be hovering to fast moving, as well as, from the nap of the earth to the maximum engagement altitude of FAAD weapons. Very accurate and quick reacting, Sentinel acquires targets sufficiently forward of the Forward Line of Own Troops (FLOT) to improve FAAD weapon reaction time and allow engagement at optimum ranges. The Sentinel's integrated IFF reduces the potential for fratricide of Army Aviation and Air Force aircraft. Highly mobile and reliable, the Sentinel's Anti-Radiation Missile and Electronic Counter-Measures resistant performance support Army Corps and Divisional Air Defense operations across the full spectrum of conflict.
- X-band, phased-array, pulse Doppler
- Low-altitude, medium-range air defense sensor
- Detects fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, and UAVs at reduced ranges
- Azimuth: 360 deg; altitude: 04 km; range: 40 km
- Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) and Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) resistant
- High mobility, transportability, and reliability
- Standard Army wheeled carrier (5-ton or HMMWV)
- Provides identification of friendly aircraft through IFF
TRANSPORTATION CHARACTERISTICS / LIMITATIONS: Transported by rail, C-130, UH-60. Length: 26 ft., Width: 8.4 ft., Weight: 10,880 lbs.
FOREIGN COUNTERPART: Russia: Straight Flush radar; Long Track radarPRIME CONTRACTOR:
- Hughes Aircraft (Fullerton, CA) SUBCONTRACTORS:
- MILTOPE; Birmingham, AL
- TRW; Redondo Beach, CA
- Hughes; Fullerton, CA
- Rockwell International; Cedar Rapids, IA
- Hughes; Forrest, MS
- Lockheed-Sanders; Nashua, NH
- GEC-Marconi; Wayne, NJ
- R&D Associates; Seattle, WA
ACQUISITION CATEGORY: IC
ACQUISITION PHASE: MS III Production
PE & LINE #: 64820.DE10 SSN: WK5053
NSN: 1430013699984
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Dec 91 Source Selection
1986 JRMB approved Milestone Decision Review II/IIIA.
Feb 92 Pre Production contract award.
Jul 94 Long Lead Item Contract Award.
Jan 95 LRIP contract award.
Apr 95 Milestone III ADM signed.
REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT: FAAD GBS ORD, 26 Jun 95.
TYPE CLASSIFICATION: Standard.
EVENT SCHEDULE FISCAL YEAR
96
97
98
99
00
01
QTR
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
LRIP Production
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Full Rate Production
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FUE Production Units
3
Production Verification Test
1-----3
Task Force XXI
4--
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P3I
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