This article was accepted into the corpus but its outbound wikilinks were never NER-processed — typical at the deepest BFS hop or when the run's entity cap was reached. No expansion funnel to show.
| AN/TPQ-46 CLS | |
|---|---|
| Name | AN/TPQ-46 CLS |
| Caption | AN/TPQ-46 Counterfire Locating System |
| Origin | United States |
| Type | Counterfire radar |
AN/TPQ-46 CLS The AN/TPQ-46 CLS is a United States counterfire locating radar system designed to detect, classify, and locate hostile indirect fire. It integrates radar, signal processing, and communications to support counterbattery operations, targeting, and situational awareness for maneuver units and artillery formations. The system evolved from legacy counter-battery radars and is fielded alongside sensors, command posts, and fires networks to reduce engagement timelines.
The AN/TPQ-46 CLS was developed through collaboration among US Army Materiel Command, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, and program offices at Redstone Arsenal with input from units returning from operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and exercises in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Engineering drew on lessons from the AN/TPQ-36, AN/TPQ-37, and the AN/TPQ-53 programs to improve detection probability, track continuity, and mobility for brigade combat teams, 82nd Airborne Division, and 101st Airborne Division elements. Acquisition milestones were coordinated with Program Executive Office Intelligence Electronic Warfare and Sensors and tested at facilities including White Sands Missile Range and Yuma Proving Ground to validate performance against mortars, rockets, and artillery signatures recorded during the Gulf War and training at the National Training Center.
The AN/TPQ-46 CLS incorporates a phased-array radar antenna, digital signal processors, and an integrated battle-management datalink compatible with systems such as Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System, Tactical Operations Center architectures, and network nodes used by U.S. Army Cyber Command. Peak detection ranges are tailored to distinguish mortar, rocket, and tube artillery trajectories with azimuth and elevation resolution sufficient to compute impact points and points of origin. Power systems permit sustained operations using tactical generators and vehicle power interfaces common to platforms like the M983 HEMTT and Stryker. Environmental hardening meets standards applied at Aberdeen Proving Ground and survivability criteria influenced by studies from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Electronic counter-countermeasures are informed by analyses from National Security Agency laboratories and interoperability testing with North Atlantic Treaty Organization fire-control networks.
Fielding of the AN/TPQ-46 CLS supports brigade and division-level fires coordination centers and maneuver task forces, including units assigned to III Corps, XVIII Airborne Corps, and rotational forces to NATO battlegroups in Poland and the Baltic states. Tactical employment emphasizes rapid emplacement, shoot/locate/leave cycles, and handoff to counterbattery units such as M777, M109 Paladin, and rocket artillery formations equipped with the M270 MLRS. Data feeds from the CLS contribute to kill-chain shortening in joint operations alongside Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and Air Force targeting cells. Doctrine updates were incorporated after operational assessments by U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and lessons learned during multinational exercises like Operation Atlantic Resolve and the Combined Resolve series.
Operator training is conducted at institutional centers including Fort Sill, Fort Bliss, and unit-level schools aligned with the Field Artillery School curriculum, emphasizing radar employment, signature analysis, and integration with command systems used by 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Infantry Division. Syllabus elements mirror doctrine promulgated by TRADOC publications and joint manuals coordinated with Marine Corps Combat Development Command for cross-branch interoperability. Certification cycles include live-fire drills at Grafenwoehr Training Area and simulated counterfire scenarios using digital training ranges developed in collaboration with U.S. Army Futures Command and contractor modeling teams from Science Applications International Corporation.
Planned and realized upgrades focus on processor modernization, software-defined radar modes, and improved networking to interface with Common Operating Picture infrastructures and allied systems fielded by United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Modular chassis options permit carriage on tactical trucks used by Finnish Defence Forces and containerized shelter variants compatible with Expeditionary Warfare deployments. Research prototypes experiment with low-probability-of-intercept waveforms inspired by projects at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and sensor fusion concepts trialed with Naval Research Laboratory and Air Force Research Laboratory collaborators.
Export and cooperative programs have been discussed with partners in NATO and standing security partners including South Korea, Japan, and select members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Interoperability trials have occurred during multinational exercises with contingents from United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Poland to validate datalink standards and combined counterfire procedures. Some partner nations pursue indigenous integration pathways with domestic defense firms such as BAE Systems, Thales Group, and Rheinmetall to adapt CLS capabilities to national doctrine and force structures.