The AN/FPS-8 Radar was a Medium-Range Search Radar used by the United States Air Force Air Defense Command.
General Electric AN/FPS-8 Radar
| |
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | General Electric |
| Introduced | 1954-1958 |
| No. built | Over 200 produced |
| Type | Medium-Range Search Radar |
| Frequency | 1280 - 1380 megahertz |
| PRF | 360 hertz |
| Beamwidth | 2.5 degrees |
| Pulsewidth | 3 microseconds |
| RPM | 0 to 10 rpm |
| Power | 1 MW |
| Other Names | AN/GPS-3, AN/MPS-11, AN/FPS-88 |
The radar was a medium power D-Band search radar designed for aircraft control and early warning, and was installed at commercial airports and military bases both in the United States and overseas. In most installations the antenna was exposed, being mounted on a temporary tower.
For severe environmental conditions, the AN/FPS-8 was self-contained in an arctic tower with a protective radome. Over the years improvements were made to the basic AN/FPS-8, culminating in the final version whose nomenclature was AN/FPS-88 (V). The AN/FPS-8 also had two mobile versions: the AN/MPS-11 and the AN/MPS-11A.
Under the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), all U.S. military radar and tracking systems are assigned a unique identifying alphanumeric designation. The letters “AN” (for Army-Navy) are placed ahead of a three-letter code.[1]
Thus, the AN/FPS-8 represents the 8th design of an Army-Navy “Fixed, Radar, Search” electronic device.[2][1]
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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