CRITICAL PARTS REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

Abstract

The FPS-117 radar supports the NORAD, USNORTHCOM, and PACOM missions. The radars are part of the Atmospheric Early Warning System (AEWS), providing radar data to both USAF and Federal Aviation Administration control systems in Alaska. The radars also provide air surveillance capability as part of a bi-national defense program with Canada. The USAF FPS-117s (versions 1 & 4) are no longer in production, however the latest FPS-117 (version 7, aka Block 3) is in production. The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) has continued to advance this radar system's technology and perform service life upgrades for other developing nations, however, Sixty-five percent of LRUs installed in the North American system are no longer manufactured by the OEM and many subcomponents are obsolete rendering the AEWS unsupportable. Air surveillance is NORAD's number #1 issue as stated by the NORAD Commander to Congress in March 2008. Without the immediate replacement of this equipment NORAD will lose air surveillance capability by 2013 due to failing radars. The AN/FPS-117 Essential Parts Replacement Program restores the radar system capability to its original availability rates by eliminating parts obsolescence and replacing high failure rate components.

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Document Details

Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2011
Source ID
675371_0102325F_7_3600_PB_2011

Tags

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Radar Systems Engineering.
  • Strategic Security Studies

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