Lockheed Martin recently completed a successful Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Enhanced AN/TPQ-36 counter-fire target acquisition (EQ-36) radar. The completion of this final design step, on schedule, clears the way for the program to move into an initial production phase for five radar systems.

The U.S. Army's new EQ-36 radar will provide the capability to detect, classify, track and determine the location of enemy indirect fire such as mortars, artillery and rockets in either 90-degree or 360-degree modes. EQ-36 systems will replace aging TPQ-36 and TPQ-37 medium-range radars, which only operate in limited 90-degree modes. The value of this acquisition could exceed $1.6 billion.

"It's about the Soldier. We're very much aware that the Army is in critical need of these systems in theater, right now," said Carl Bannar, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Radar Systems line of business. "The sooner we get these EQ-36 systems into the field, the sooner we can start saving lives."

The EQ-36 program remains on a fast track. In January 2007, Lockheed Martin received a contract award for approximately $120 million from the U.S. Army's Program Executive Office - Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors to provide the Army with five EQ-36 radars within 36 months.

Lockheed Martin will deliver the first two EQ-36 systems to the Army by summer 2009; the third and fourth by fall 2009; and the fifth by early 2010.

In November and December, a prototype EQ-36 radar, built by industry partner Syracuse Research (SRC) under an Army Technology Objective, was tested in full 360-degree counter-fire mode against mortars and rockets at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona.

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 in 360-degree mode. Live fire testing was conducted over a seven-day period without a single false alarm.

In October 2007, the EQ-36 program completed a successful Preliminary Design Review and Lockheed Martin and SRC debuted the EQ-36 prototype at the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.