Airbus completes factory testing of naval radar system for LCS ships

Airbus Defense and Space, Inc., said on Monday that it and affiliate Airbus Defence and Space GmbH have successfully completed factory acceptance testing of the TRS-4D naval radar system, which was developed for the U.S. Navy.

The TRS-4D radar system will be used on the U.S. Navy's Freedom Variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a smaller ship intended for surface combat close to shore.

Airbus developed the TRS-4D radar as a rotating version of the existing Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) fixed panel radar that is being deployed on the German navy’s F-125 frigates. The first U.S. Navy ship to install the TRS 4D will be LCS-17.

This new radar uses a mix of mechanical and electronic scanning technologies to generate targets, determine their range and track their paths. The software-based radar is designed to be easily adaptable for future threats and missions.

This adaptability make the TRS-4D a good fit for the operating profile of LCS ships. The radar's technology makes it more sensitive to smaller targets and gives the system more accuracy in the near-shore zone.

"Superior performance and adaptability for the future are key characteristics of the TRS-4D radar that set it apart from other radar systems," Mike Cosentino, president of Airbus Defense and Space, Inc., said.