The U.S. Army has started a three-week test of an updated air and missile defense sensor. The Limited User Test (LUT) of the Sentinel A4 AN/MPQ-64A4 is being conducted by 30 soldiers and 85 government civilians and contractors at White Sands Missile Range. The test is being held to determine if the Sentinel A4 can replace the Sentinel A3 AN/MPQ-64A3 as the U.S. Army’s primary intermediate air and missile defense sensor.
The test is being conducted by the U.S. Army Operational Test Command’s (USAOTC) Air and Missile Defense Test Directorate (AMDTD) and Soldiers from multiple units. The goal of the test is to ensure that the Sentinel A4 is ready to be fielded to Soldiers. To achieve this, the testers will evaluate the sensor’s capabilities in a variety of environments and scenarios, such as detecting and tracking simulated threats.
The need to test the Sentinel A4 is critical because it is a key component of the Army’s air and missile defense systems. The sensor is designed to provide accurate and timely information to Soldiers in the field, which is essential to effectively detect and intercept airborne threats. By conducting this test, the Army can ensure that the Sentinel A4 meets its high standards of performance and reliability.
The Sentinel A4 is a significant improvement over its predecessor, the Sentinel A3. According to Col. Josh Moon, director of the U.S. Army Operational Test Command’s Air and Missile Defense Test Directorate, “The Sentinel A4 is the first modernized sensor effort that we will test this year that integrates into the Army’s top priority Integrated Air and Missile Defense (AIAMD) via the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS).” The integration with the IBCS allows for greater flexibility and interoperability with other defense systems, enabling more effective threat detection and interception. Additionally, the Sentinel A4 has improved range, accuracy, and reliability compared to the Sentinel A3. The testers are optimistic about the new system’s capabilities. As Moon stated, “We’re very excited to get this system in the hands of Soldiers.”
So what makes the Sentinel A4 different from the A3? Well, for starters, the Sentinel A4 is a high-performance replacement of the legacy Sentinel A3 air and missile defense radar that provides significant improvements to the existing Sentinel capability. According to Lockheed Martin, the Sentinel A4 will provide enhanced capability against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems, rotary wing and fixed wing threats. In addition, the Sentinel A4 adds the ability to detect Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (RAM) threats, providing RAM Point of Origin and Point of Impact locations, while also providing added protection against electronic threats.
The Sentinel A4 has a host of capabilities that make it a standout choice for the U.S. Army’s air and missile defense system. For example, the Sentinel A4 can easily integrate with existing defense systems, including IFPC, NCR-IADS, NASAMS, the Aegis Combat Management System and NORAD, to name a few. The Sentinel A4 provides the most current technology for short to medium-range air & missile defense.
The Sentinel A4 provides both 360-degree and stop-and-stare capability, from the ground to zenith, with no cone of silence, while providing Fire Control Quality Track Data. It does this through a digital Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) architecture that delivers greater than a 75% increase in range over the legacy system and full hemispheric coverage.
Furthermore, the Sentinel A4 leverages gallium nitride, or GaN, which Lockheed Martin has been delivering in its radars since 2015, and is the standard in today’s capability sets, providing increased range, power efficiency, and reliability to the warfighter. The system also provides improved electronic protection, translating to increased survivability on the battlefield. Because the system is adaptable in nature, users can “set it and forget it,” meaning the radar will meet all requirements without needing manual inputs or adjustments.
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