Multifunction Phased Array Radar for Aircraft and Weather Surveillance

Multifunction phased array radar (MPAR) is a multiagency initiative to investigate the feasibility of replacing the aircraft surveillance and weather radar fleets in the US with a network of phased array radars based on a single, scalable architecture. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration have been collaborating on MPAR risk reduction, which focuses on reducing cost, ensuring that the technology could accomplish all the missions within radar timelines, and developing dual polarization (dual pol) capability. The agencies have completed siting, cost, spectrum, dual pol, and back end studies, among others; have developed three dual pol architectures; and are building operational arrays to demonstrate that the technology can meet the basic needs of the agencies.