The U.S. Marine Corps, with the help of Japan, has installed a new radar system alongside Japan’s Self-Defense Forces on an island less than 70 miles from Taiwan, the closest Japanese territory to the island. The unit responsible is from the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, which used a Japanese C-2 cargo aircraft to transport the TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) to Yonaguni Island.
The AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR is a next-generation surveillance, defense, and air traffic control radar of the AESA type. Developed by Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, it began operating with the Marine Corps in 2016. It operates in the S-band (2–4 GHz) and can detect everything from rotary-wing aircraft to cruise missiles. It is designed for easy transport and setup, with an approximate installation time of 45 minutes.
Additionally, the G/ATOR combines the capabilities of five legacy systems to provide air and ground surveillance as well as weapon control.
The initial contract for the acquisition of this multi-mission radar system was awarded to Northrop Grumman in 2019 for USD $958 million. A year later, Swedish company Saab was selected to supply components and subsystems for the air surveillance radars. This agreement allowed the Marine Corps to acquire up to 30 radar systems, which was completed in fiscal year 2023.
The goal was to provide Marines with “360-degree real-time situational awareness to identify and track missiles, manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, rockets, mortars, and artillery fire.”
This deployment was part of the Resolute Dragon exercise, serving as a test of readiness among partner nation units and their technology. According to the regiment’s fire support coordinator, the radar installation “will significantly enhance multi-domain operations and overall battlefield awareness,” enabling complete detection and tracking of aerial, ground, and maritime targets.
The mentioned island is the latest in a series of islands that are part of Okinawa, which hosts 18,000 Marines and another 7,000 U.S. Air Force personnel, according to the Marine Corps.
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