The AMDR, short for "Air and Missile Defense Radar", is an air and missile defense radar planned by the United States navy.[1] It is being developed to provide integrated air and missile defense, and even periscope detection, for next-generation cruisers and destroyers.[2]
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In September 2010, the navy awarded technology development contracts to Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon to develop the S-band radar and radar suite controller (RSC). X-band radar development reportedly will come under separate contracts. The Navy hopes to place AMDR on Flight III Arleigh Burke class destroyer, possibly beginning in 2016. Those ships currently mount the Aegis Combat System system, produced by Lockheed Martin.[3]
The AMDR system consists of two primary radars and a radar suite controller (RSC) to coordinate the sensors. An S-band radar is to provide volume search, tracking, ballistic missile defense discrimination and missile communications while the X-band radar is to provide horizon search, precision tracking, missile communication and terminal illumination of targets.[3]