AN/SPS-48
An SPS-48E radar antenna (the large square panel) aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). | |
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 21 February 1966 |
| Type | 3D Air-search |
| Frequency | E and F band (2 to 4 GHz) |
| Range | 250 nmi (460 km) |
| Altitude | 100,000 ft (30,000 m) |
| Diameter | 17 ft (5.2 m) by 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) |
| Azimuth | 0-360° |
| Elevation | 0-65° |
| Precision | 690 ft (210 m) elevation 1/6° azimuth |
| Power | 35 kW (avg) |
The AN/SPS-48 is a US naval electronically scanned array, air search three-dimensional radar system manufactured by ITT Exelis and deployed in the 1960s as the primary air search sensor for anti-aircraft warships. The deployment of the AN/SPY-1 and the end of the Cold War led to the decommissioning of many such ships, and many of these vessel's AN/SPS-48 sets were reused on aircraft carriers and amphibious ships where it is used to direct targets for air defense systems such as the Sea Sparrow and RIM-116 SAM missiles. Existing sets are being modernized under the ROAR program to AN/SPS-48G standard for better reliability and usability.
In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the "AN/SPS-48" designation represents the 48th design of an Army-Navy electronic device for surface ship search radar system. The JETDS system also now is used to name all Department of Defense electronic systems.