SYRACUSE, NY: Lockheed Martin has delivered the first Non-Recurring Engineering Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 Counterfire Target Acquisition (EQ-36) Radar System to the U.S. Army.
The EQ-36 radar’s delivery on July 2 followed its successful live-fire performance testing against indirect fire from mortars, artillery and rockets from a simulated enemy. The series of tests, held this spring at the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, included engineering, contractor and government acceptance testing.
The on-time delivery of the first operational EQ-36 system was just 30 months after the Army’s Program Executive Office – Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors awarded Lockheed Martin a $120 million design and development contract for five systems. EQ-36 radar systems will replace the aging TPQ-36 and TPQ-37 medium-range radars now in the Army’s inventory.
“We’ve listened carefully to the U.S. Army and understand the urgent need to field EQ-36 to protect soldiers currently in the theater,” said Carl Bannar, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Radar Systems business. “We’re very proud to deliver this first operational EQ-36 system to our customer on schedule.”
To accelerate the fielding of the EQ-36 radar, the U.S. Army in June 2008 exercised contract options with Lockheed Martin for 12 additional systems, which will include enhanced performance capabilities. Further, to support the war fighter, delivery of all 12 systems has been accelerated. With production for both orders now running in parallel, the remaining EQ-36 systems will be delivered by fall 2010.
In October 2007, the EQ-36 program completed a successful Preliminary Design Review and in March 2008, the program successfully completed its Critical Design Review.
In November and December 2007, a prototype EQ-36 radar, built by industry partner SRC, was tested against mortars and rockets at Yuma Proving Ground. During the tests, which were specifically designed to evaluate the radar’s ability to meet U.S. Army requirements, the EQ-36 prototype successfully located the firing positions of both rocket and mortar launchers. Live fire testing was conducted over a seven-day period without a single false alarm.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.
