September 13, 2007: The U.S. Marine Corps is
joining several other armed services and consolidating four different radar
systems into one. Their new G/ATOR (Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar) uses active
electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to simultaneously take care of air
defense (aircraft detection, tracking and attack), cruise missile detection,
locating enemy artillery (from the trajectory of shells fired) and air-traffic
control. Each of the first seventeen systems will cost $15 million each. The
next 40-50 will cost a bit less. With a range of over 200 kilometers (depending
on where it is set up), G/ATOR will be expanded to include electronic warfare
capabilities. The "multi-use" approach is actually a trend, and it
will be another decade before all those capabilities are working well in one
radar system.
