Active Phased Array Radar
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- This article is about a specific radar model named APAR. For application of Active Phased Array Radar as generic term describing a type of radar, see Active Electronically Scanned Array.
APAR (Active Phased Array Radar) is a shipborne multi-function radar (more specifically, an Active Electronically Scanned Array), developed and manufactured by Thales Naval Nederland. The radar has four fixed (i.e. non-rotating) sensor arrays (faces), fixed on a pyramidal structure. Each face consists of 3424 transmit/receive (TR) modules operating at X band frequencies. The same company's SMART-L radar (which operates at L band frequencies) complements APAR, providing full volume search and tracking up to 400km. The whole system is called Anti-Air Warfare Systems (AAWS) and is based on the NATO Anti-Air Warfare (NAAWS) concept of the late 1980's.
The radar provides the following capabilities:
- air target tracking out to 150 km
- surface target tracking out to 32 km
- horizon search out to 75 km
- "limited" volume search (in order to back up the volume search capabilities of the SMART-L)
- cued search (a mode in which the search is cued using data originating from another sensor)
- surface gunfire support
- missile guidance using the Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI) technique, thus allowing up to 16 simultaneous engagements (guiding a total of up to 32 missiles simultaneously)
APAR is installed on four Dutch LCF De Zeven Provinciën and three German F124 Sachsen class frigates. The Royal Danish Navy selected an anti-air warfare system designed around APAR and SMART-L over the competing BAE Systems SAMPSON Integrated Weapon System (SIWS) based on SAMPSON multi-function and CEA-MOUNT fire control radars for their three new patrol ships in August 2006. The Canadian Navy is rumored to be studying the system for a new class known to Navy-watchers as the Province-class, but the current status of these studies is unclear.
APAR's missile guidance capability supports the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) and the SM-2 Block IIIA missile. In November 2003, the missile guidance capabilities were first tested with live firings. The firings were performed by the Royal Dutch Navy's HrMs De Zeven Provinciën and involved the firing of a single ESSM and a single SM-2 Block IIIA. These firings were the first ever live firings involving a ship-borne Active Electronically Scanned Array guiding missiles using the ICWI technique. In August 2004, the German Navy's FGS Sachsen completed a series of live missile firings that included a total of 11 ESSM and 10 SM-2 Block IIIA missiles.
