The Northrop GrummanAN/ZPY-1 STARLite Small Tactical Radar - Lightweight[1] is a small, lightweight synthetic aperture radar/GMTIradar used in tactical operations. The radar is under contract to the U.S. Army Communications and Electronics Command for its ERMPGeneral Atomics MQ-1C Gray EagleUnmanned Aerial System and is manufactured by Northrop Grumman.[2] STARLite weighs 65 lb (29 kg)., occupies 1.2 cubic feet (34 L), and requires less than 750 W of power.[3] The Army began to take delivery of the system in 2010.[4] Also in 2010 the system was ready for deployment to the battlefield.[5]
From the first orders in 2008 to October 2012, Northrop Grumman delivered half of the 174 radars ordered. Eighteen of the radars on order are a lighter, extended-range version. Weight was reduced by combining the radar power supply and processor and incorporating a Systron Donner inertial system. The new system weights 45 lb (20 kg). The patch antenna was replaced with a slot antenna, doubling its range to 10 mi (16 km). The original STARLite radar is used on the MQ-1C Gray Eagle and the Lockheed Martin Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) aerostat. The company is proposing the lighter version for integration onto small UAVs, including the RQ-7B Shadow, the MQ-8C Fire Scout, and the TigerShark UAS. Other potential customers include the Department of Homeland Security, which flies the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Guardian, and NATO countries.[6] The active electronically scanned radar is mounted on a rotating mechanical gimbal with a 360 degree field of regard, although the antenna itself has a 110 degree field of view. In addition to SAR/GMTI, it has a dismount moving target indicator mode that can track a person walking on the ground from a range of 4.3 nmi (8.0 km; 4.9 mi).[7]
