AN/TPS-43

The AN/TPS-43 is a portable 3D radar device, which for two decades served as the only tactical long-range radar system for the U.S. Air Force. It consisted of two ( eg trucks) verladbaren components: The radar antenna, which could be completely folded for transport purposes, as well as a shelter, were housed in the transmission, reception and evaluation technology. The antenna is connected by a flexible waveguide to the transmit power amplifier in the shelter. The waveguides were filled with sulfur hexafluoride to their dielectric strength to improve and reduce the insertion loss.

The antenna gain is 37 dB. The antenna pattern has the shape of a cosecant square beam stacked graph. The transmit pulse is emitted in the form of a cosecant square diagram, the reception happen over 6 staggered in elevation receive channels (so-called lobes or beams ) that cover the cosecant ² Chart back in their sum. This can be determined in addition to range and bearing of the elevation ( altitude ) of a flying object. Another 7 reception channel is used for side lobe suppression (SLB ).

A pulsed Twystron ( a hybrid power tube, which is a traveling wave tube ( TWT) and a klystron combined ) produced in the S band, a maximum output power of 2.8 MW. The transmit pulse is phase encoded and achieved with the pulse compression process, therefore, a very precise range resolution.

The American forces modified many AN/TPS-43 to AN/TPS-75 by the cosecant ² - exchanged antenna for a phased array antenna, this modification was not performed on the devices of the German Bundeswehr. Nevertheless, the AN/TPS-43 continues to enjoy great popularity. So a AN/TPS-43E in Posadas ( Misiones ), the Argentine armed forces as a consequence of the events of 11 September 2001 set up to detect illegal movements.

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