Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR)

Abstract

The LRDR program supports and contributes to the Missile Defense Agency mission of developing and deploying a layered Missile Defense System to defend the homeland from missile attacks of all ranges, in all phases of flight by providing persistent long-range midcourse discrimination, precision tracking and hit assessment as an element of the Missile Defense System Homeland Defense Capability. The LRDR program also supports the Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Space Object Identification (SOI) mission area. The LRDR Program Element includes the requirements to design, develop, integrate, deliver, field, and sustain the LRDR. The LRDR operates in the S-band frequency with a scalable and open systems architecture to mitigate evolving threats and integrates into the Missile Defense System through the Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) system. This Program Element includes Missile Defense System threat discrimination improvements to enhance effectiveness against the evolving threat. The result will be a Missile Defense System architecture more capable of discriminating and interpreting re-entry vehicles with a higher degree of confidence to improve Warfighter engagement doctrine, and conserve Ground Based Interceptor inventory. The LRDR is comprised of an equipment shelter, two radar array faces, a mission control facility for radar operations, and supporting facilities and infrastructure. The Secretary of the Air Force approved Clear Space Force Station, formerly known as Clear Air Force Station, AK as the LRDR site. The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Operations Command is the designated Lead Major Command. The initial fielding of LRDR was completed on December 6, 2021. In cooperation with the Northern Command, the Space Command, and the USSF, an incremental fielding approach is being taken. The early use fielding of the LRDR SDA capability is planned for early FY 2024. Fielding of the LRDR Increment 6B.1 capability will occur when LRDR is added to the Missile Defense System Operational Capability Baseline (OCB), currently planned for 1Q FY 2025, delayed by the replanning of formal ground testing of the final LRDR Increment 6B.1 software. Operational Acceptance (OA) by the USSF is planned for 2Q FY 2025 following completion of LRDR Increment 6B.1 fielding and Flight Test Other (FTX)-26. Completion of the LRDR System Transition and Transfer follows OA and is planned for 4Q FY 2025. The LRDR Program Element supports the fielding of the LRDR capabilities described below: - The LRDR capability that will be fielded when LRDR is added to the Missile Defense System Increment 6B.1 OCB includes increased Missile Defense System raid handling capability, conventional and advanced discrimination capabilities, implementation of mitigation techniques in denied environments, Missile Defense System integration and remote ops via C2BMC, including cyber protection/interoperability, autonomous and cued acquisition capabilities, initial sensor bias reporting, inherent SDA capability, and Electronic Protection (EP) capabilities. Operational fielding of the LRDR capability will be completed when added to the OCB in FY 2024. As stated previously, an incremental fielding approach is being taken to field the SDA capability in advance of the full Missile Defense System capability. - The LRDR capability that will be fielded with the Missile Defense System Increment 6C/7 includes software upgrades to LRDR to improve bias monitoring and reporting, increased discrimination capability that is expanded to a broader spectrum of threats and Resident Space Object scenes, increased support to the SDA/SOI mission with additional reporting, expanded threat loading and threat type including addition of hypersonic threat requirements, cybersecurity upgrades, reliability upgrades, cost reduction initiatives to reduce life cycle operating costs, and characterization testing and improvements to EP capability. Operational fielding of the LRDR Increment 6C/7 capability will be completed when added to the OCB in FY 2026. - The LRDR capability that will be fielded with the Missile Defense System Increment 10 includes software upgrades to LRDR to improve capabilities against advanced threats and includes interface modifications to synchronize and verify requirements with the Next Generation Interceptor. Operational fielding of the LRDR Increment 10 capability will be completed when added to the OCB in FY 2028.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2025
• Source ID: 0604873C_4_0400_PB_2025
• Change Summary Explanation: N/A
• Service Agency Name: Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

• Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Readers

• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

• Cyber
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Hypersonics
• Microelectronics
• Space
• Space - Space Objects