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| AN/SPS-39 | |
|---|---|
| Name | AN/SPS-39 |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1960s |
| Type | 3D air search radar |
| Frequency | S-band |
| Range | ~200 nmi |
| Manufacturer | Westinghouse Electric Corporation |
AN/SPS-39 The AN/SPS-39 was a United States Navy three-dimensional (3D) air-search radar developed during the Cold War era to provide range, bearing, and altitude information for airborne targets. It emerged from post-World War II advances in radar pioneered by firms like Westinghouse Electric Corporation and programs influenced by requirements from commands such as United States Navy fleet air defense and allies including NATO. The system served aboard carriers and surface combatants during periods of regional crises such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and conflicts like the Vietnam War.
Development of the AN/SPS-39 traces to research programs at corporations and institutions including Westinghouse Electric Corporation, research laboratories affiliated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and testing facilities like Naval Research Laboratory. Early conceptual work paralleled airborne radar advances seen in projects by Raytheon and General Electric, responding to tactical needs identified during the Korean War and strategic assessments by the Bureau of Naval Weapons. Formal Navy procurement followed evaluations under directives from organizations such as Office of Naval Research and testing at ranges like Patuxent River Naval Air Station where prototypes were integrated with shipboard combat systems akin to developments that later influenced systems tied to NTDS program thinking.
The radar used a rotating planar antenna employing monopulse and frequency scanning techniques in the S-band portion of the spectrum, incorporating electronic elevation determination to yield 3D fixes without separate height-finder radars. The design built on technologies proven by radar families from Westinghouse Electric Corporation and innovations from labs like MIT Lincoln Laboratory, integrating components such as klystrons and magnetrons similar to devices produced by Culver Corporation and RCA. Signal processing hardware drew on analog and early digital electronics comparable to subsystems used in AN/SPS-40 and later in systems tied to Aegis Combat System developmental thought. Operator consoles and display equipment paralleled ergonomic concepts from Naval Air Systems Command human factors studies and training doctrines promulgated at Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Training Center Great Lakes.
The AN/SPS-39 entered service aboard capital ships and escort vessels during the 1960s and 1970s, contributing to fleet air defense during deployments to theaters overseen by commands such as United States Sixth Fleet, United States Seventh Fleet, and during patrols linked to incidents like the Tonkin Gulf Incident. Crews trained at facilities associated with Naval Air Station Pensacola and maintenance flowed through depots like Naval Air Station Oceana logistics networks. Operational employment reflected tactics developed in schools such as United States Naval War College. Over time, the radar supported integration with combat information centers modeled on doctrine from Admiral Arleigh Burke-era concepts and cooperated with aircraft including airborne early warning platforms like the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye.
Multiple variants and upgrade packages extended the radar’s service life, influenced by evolving electronics from companies such as Westinghouse Electric Corporation and upgrade programs managed through Naval Sea Systems Command. Improved receivers, signal processors, and stabilization systems paralleled advances seen in successors like the AN/SPS-48 and retrofit efforts resembled modernization work undertaken for sensors on ships involved in operations such as Operation Desert Storm. Qualification trials sometimes involved ranges at Patuxent River Naval Air Station and evaluation teams from entities like Naval Air Warfare Center.
Primary operator was the United States Navy. Secondary operators included allied navies that acquired surplus platforms or undertook cooperative refits coordinated through agencies such as Foreign Military Sales channels and bilateral agreements with partners including navies of nations in the NATO alliance and other U.S. partners that modernized escorts and carriers during Cold War collaborations.
Some decommissioned examples have been preserved as museum exhibits and shore displays at institutions connected to naval history and preservation such as the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, USS Midway Museum, and other maritime museums that curate Cold War-era electronics. Restoration and interpretation efforts involve organizations like the Naval Historical Foundation and volunteer groups with ties to ship preservation projects at sites including Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
Category:Naval radars of the United States Category:Cold War military equipment of the United States