Four In One

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.