AN/TPS-1
 AN/TPS-1B at the National Museum of the United States Air Force | |
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1944 |
| Type | Portable Long Range Search Radar |
| Frequency | L-band,1220 to 1350 MHz |
| PRF | 4 usec |
| Beamwidth | 3.7 ° (horizontal) |
| Range | 28, 80 or 200 miles (45, 129, or 322 km) |
| Azimuth | 360º |
| Precision | +/- 1 mile + 3% range. |
| Other Names | AMES Type 61 |
TheAN/TPS-1 Radarwas anearly warningandtactical control radardeveloped byBell Labsand theMIT Radiation LaboratoryduringWorld War II.Initially used by theUS Army,it was later used by theUnited States Air ForceAir Defense Command,and a number of European armed forces. A number of variations were produced by several vendors, includingWestern Electric,Westinghouse Electric,Bendix Corporationand several European manufacturers in the post-war era. InRoyal Air Forceservice it was known asAMES Type 61.
The TPS-1 is a lightweight portable search radar using a cut-downparabolic antennaof the "orange peel" design with an off-axis feed and transmitting in theL-bandbetween 1220 and 1280 megahertz (MHz). The initial versions were designed to break down into ten packages and then be assembled on-site, but a number of adaptations to large trucks and even school bus frames were made over the years. A crew of two could operate the radar. The 1B model could detect bombers at 10,000 feet at a distance of 120 nautical miles. Versions B through G differed primarily in the antenna pattern, providing better vertical range, but were electrically identical.
TPS-1s were used to defend many beach-heads in the Pacific during the war and were among the first portable radar units to go into operation following the invasions ofIwo JimaandOkinawa.These units saw considerable postwar service. It was used in the temporaryLashup Radar Networkbeginning in 1948. The AN/TPS-1D was the main component of the AN/GSS-1 Electronic Search Central system used withNike missilesystems.[1]
Photographs
[edit]-
MGCIS-1radar site atYonpo Airfield,Korea in December 1950. The TPS-1B is on the far left of the photo.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]
This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theAir Force Historical Research Agency
- ^"Learning Event 2: Electronic Search Central AN/GSS-1"(description at Globalsecurity.org).Retrieved2021-10-28.
- USAF Factsheet Bendix AN/TPS-1
- AN/TPS-1B @ radomes.org
- Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
External links
[edit]
