Hensoldt TRS-3D / AN/SPS-75 Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar

[adroth]

https://www.hensoldt.net/solutions/sea/radar/3d-multi-mode-surveillance-and-target-acquisition-radar-trs-3d/

Description

Naval 3D Multi-Mode Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar
TRS-3D is a modular, highly  reliable, countermeasure-resistant, medium-range air and surface surveillance system.

It is a fully coherent multi-mode phased array C band radar capable of fully automatic detection, track initiation, and classification of various types of targets. Even under severe clutter conditions encountered in the littoral,  it detects and tracks with a particular emphasis on small, fast and low-flying aircraft, missiles, hovering helicopters and asymmetric threats. This ensures minimal operator workload and maximises operational effectiveness.

Specifications

PERFORMANCE DATA   

Maximum instrumented range: 200 km
Minimum range: 200 m
Elevation coverage: -2°...50° (70°)
Azimuth coverage: 360°
Tracking 3D capacity: >400 targets
Gun fire support: 2 windows
Track range performance:
Low altitude target: 11.3 nmi
Accuracy:
Elevation: ≤ 1.3°
Bearing: ≤ 0.24°
Range: ≤ 20 m

ANTENNA   

Planar phased array, electronically stabilised
Electronic scan in elevation
Integrated IFF antenna (Mode S, Mode 5)
Integrated SLB/CSLC antenna
Update rate: 6 s / 3.5 s / 3 s / 1 s
Low weight (including pedestal): ≤ 575 kg

TRANSMITTER   

C Band (Nato G Band)
Solid-state Tx modules in gallium nitride technology
Highly stable coherent transmitter
Graceful degradation

PROCESSING
   
Flexible waveforms for 3D scanning
Coherent Doppler processing
LOW LIFE-CYCLE COSTS   
High LRU reliability and operational system availability
MTTR / MTBCF: ≤ 0.5 h / >3000 h


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[adroth]

Reportedly HHI has contracted for the TRS-3D / AN/SPS-75 radar for air and surface search on the new frigates. The radar has been subject of much derision that stems from a lack of understanding on the system. It is actually deployed on multiple front-line vessels of large capable navies, including:

US Navy (LCS flight I)
US Coast Guard (National Security Cutters)
German Navy (F122 frigates and K130 corvettes)
Royal Danish Navy (StanFlex patrol boats and Niels Juel corvettes)
Spanish Navy
Norwegian Navy

As per the PN Requirements Air/Surface search 3D radar Tracking Capability, it should be at least 750 Tracks of Air and Surface tracks.
How can we reconcile the specs of Hensoldt TRS-3D radar having the number of Tracking capacity below than what was required from the PN Bid Document specs?

PERFORMANCE DATA   
Maximum instrumented range: 200 km
Minimum range: 200 m
Elevation coverage: -2°...50° (70°)
Azimuth coverage: 360°
Tracking 3D capacity: >400 targets
Gun fire support: 2 windows
Track range performance:
Low altitude target: 11.3 nmi
Accuracy:
Elevation: ≤ 1.3°
Bearing: ≤ 0.24°
Range: ≤ 20 m

https://www.hensoldt.net/solutions/sea/radar/3d-multi-mode-surveillance-and-target-acquisition-radar-trs-3d/

Notice how Hendoldt's specs actually say GREATER than 400 tracks? That's what ">" stands for.

They simply didn't expose the maximum value and a competitive sizing argument based on a pulled-from-your-rearend-rule-of-thumb-extrapolation doesn't really cut it. Take it from someone who has to deal with spec sheets for a living.

Spec sheets provide figures based on predetermined conditions. These are typically the vendor's OWN methodology. You can't base your buying decisions on open-source spec sheets. That's just how technology works. Figures need validation. PERIOD.

Why wouldn't Hendolt give the maximum figures? Ask yourself . . . would you want to advertise that to a potential adversary?

If this is indeed the radar that the PN gets . . . and the PN signs off on these figures . . . then they've either come up with their own methodology for validating the figures, or is leveraging another country's (presumably an ally) proof-of-concept resources.

[adroth]

Airbus Multi-Mode Radar AN/SPS-75 (TRS-3D) selected for U.S. Coast Guard's ninth National Security Cutter
January 9, 2017

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/press-releases/2017/01/9/airbus-multi-mode-radar-an-sps-75-trs-3d-selected-for-u-s-coast-guard-s-ninth-national-security-c.html

HERNDON, VA--(Marketwired - Jan 9, 2017) - Airbus Defense and Space, Inc., under contract with its affiliate Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security GmbH, will provide the TRS-3D Baseline D multi-mode radar (MMR) for the U.S. Coast Guard's ninth National Security Cutter (NSC).

The TRS-3D Baseline D, designated AN/SPS-75, utilizes gallium nitride (GaN) technology to deliver traditional TRS-3D robust performance while improving reliability and options for future development. Airbus TRS-3D radars have been aboard every NSC since the program's inception.

"The AN/SPS-75 is the right choice to meet Coast Guard requirements for a multi-mode radar," said Mike Cosentino, President of Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. "It is currently meeting operational requirements and is consistent with Coast Guard investments in training infrastructure ashore, as well as with their existing sustainment program."

The contract to provide the AN/SPS-75 MMR is with Lockheed Martin, with whom Airbus has worked to provide radars for all prior NSCs. Lockheed Martin's intimate knowledge and experience with AN/SPS-75 technology enabled them to successfully integrate the radar with all systems required by the NSC program, and that experience carries forward into the current contract.

Since its introduction in 1995, the radar became a global sales leader with more units being sold than any radar in its class. In the U.S. market, it is in the U.S. Navy inventory aboard Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships and in the Coast Guard inventory aboard all NSCs, as well as at the service's shore-based training center in Petaluma, Calif. Its design has matured over the years to meet evolving customer requirements and keep pace with advances in technology.

< Edited >

[adroth]

EADS to Supply TRS-3D Radar for US LCS

https://www.naval-technology.com/news/news109008-html/

Lockheed Martin has again selected EADS North America to supply its TRS-3D radar for the US Navy littoral combat ship.

The TRS-3D is a standard, naval multimode surface and air surveillance and target acquisition radar that is capable of detecting multiple surface and air targets simultaneously.

The lightweight, multifunction radar can integrate with various shipboard systems and C4ISR suites to provide surveillance, weapon fire control, and helicopter detection and guidance.

< Edited >

[adroth]

From: http://www.radartutorial.eu/19.kartei/07.naval/karte008.en.html

TRS-3D

< Edited >

The multimode TRS-3D radar uses a phased array antenna in a 3-D multimode for simultaneous detection and tracking of multiple targets and employs electronic stabilization to neutralize the rolling motion of boats operating in choppy coastal waters, with specific operational modes to protect against sea-skimming cruise missiles and attack helicopters. The radar antenna is made up of a planar phased array pencil-beam array of 16 or 32 rows of 46 radiators each. Electronic phase shifters are incorporated for scanning in elevation. The antenna includes polarization agile or linear polarized radiators.

< Edited >

[adroth]

Note the update to the TRS-3D specs at the bottom of this post. Open-source spec sheets need to be taken with a grain of salt. It is not in a vendor's interest to expose the upper limits of what they can do. It is also not in the vendor's CUSTOMER'S interest to expose the limits of what they bought can do. In an age where countries recognize the value of stealth, radar cross-section resolution is a closely guarded secret. So satisfaction, or non-satisfaction of a requirement rightfully should only be between the vendor and the government customer.

Companion thread here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rpdefense/permalink/1639913949427779/

As per the PN Requirements Air/Surface search 3D radar Tracking Capability, it should be at least 750 Tracks of Air and Surface tracks.
How can we reconcile the specs of Hensoldt TRS-3D radar having the number of Tracking capacity below than what was required from the PN Bid Document specs?

PERFORMANCE DATA   
Maximum instrumented range: 200 km
Minimum range: 200 m
Elevation coverage: -2°...50° (70°)
Azimuth coverage: 360°
Tracking 3D capacity: >400 targets
Gun fire support: 2 windows
Track range performance:
Low altitude target: 11.3 nmi
Accuracy:
Elevation: ≤ 1.3°
Bearing: ≤ 0.24°
Range: ≤ 20 m

https://www.hensoldt.net/solutions/sea/radar/3d-multi-mode-surveillance-and-target-acquisition-radar-trs-3d/

Notice how Hendoldt's specs actually say GREATER than 400 tracks? That's what ">" stands for.

They simply didn't expose the maximum value and a competitive sizing argument based on a pulled-from-your-rearend-rule-of-thumb-extrapolation doesn't really cut it. Take it from someone who has to deal with spec sheets for a living.

Spec sheets provide figures based on predetermined conditions. These are typically the vendor's OWN methodology. You can't base your buying decisions on open-source spec sheets. That's just how technology works. Figures need validation. PERIOD.

Why wouldn't Hendolt give the maximum figures? Ask yourself . . . would you want to advertise that to a potential adversary?

If this is indeed the radar that the PN gets . . . and the PN signs off on these figures . . . then they've either come up with their own methodology for validating the figures, or is leveraging another country's (presumably an ally) proof-of-concept resources.

The short reply to the earlier question is we don't know what's the upper limit.

The few facts that we can ascertain is the >400 tracks figure cited in official trade publications and brochures have been used since the TRS-3D/16ES days as well as the landbased TRML. The system has been upgraded with a GaN transmitter and probably a few other components to the Baseline D specifications. 

The question is how these improvements translated to a greater tracking capacity? 10%? 20%? or 100%? (which needs to be in order to meet PN's requirement).

Going to try to explain something technical here:

• Track creation (also known as initiation) is a function of radar plots. 
• Radar plots creation (also known as extraction) is a function of the radar video
• Radar video is is a function of the transmitter and the receiver.

Hensoldt had upgraded the transmitter to solid state Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology means that beyond reliability, the output and the received video should be much improved. Which simply means more plots can be extracted. Plot extraction itself can be improved (through aftermarket cards like Cambridge Pixel's) and that is usually one of the quickest way to upgrade an old radar. With better and more plots, more tracks can be initiated.

Track capacity, while important is a side issue compared to track quality, IMO. You can initiate plenty of tracks but if those tracks ends up as ghost tracks or false tracks, it is not operationally effective. This is where the black art of track correlation comes to play. Track capacity and quality varies according to the environment as well as the filters (MHT, Kalman, IMM etc) used. A lot of fine-tuning comes along with it. 

Between the proposed two radars offered, the Thales NS100 is obviously the better choice. TRS-3D has been around since 1992 since the old days of Telefunken Systemtechnik (DASA) and operators such as Malaysia have expressed issues with it, but it is also not the same one from '92.

Ho ho. I wonder if Hensodt has been reading this thread or the FAP news... Tracking capacity have been updated to >750.

It must have been pretty recent since WAPinoy2's post was dated 8 April and the Google cache at 5 April still reflected the older number. They still seem to avoid saying a definitive number, insisting on the greater than.

https://www.hensoldt.net/solutions/sea/radar/3d-multi-mode-surveillance-and-target-acquisition-radar-trs-3d/

PERFORMANCE DATA   
 

Maximum instrumented range: 200 km
Minimum range: 200 m
Elevation coverage: -2°...50° (70°)
Azimuth coverage: 360°
Tracking 3D capacity: > 750 targets
Gun fire support: 2 windows
Track range performance:
Low altitude target: 11.3 nmi
Accuracy:
Elevation: ≤ 1.3°
Bearing: ≤ 0.24°
Range: ≤ 20 m