| AN/FPS-19 | |
| Country: | US |
| Manufacturer: | Raytheon |
| Introdate: | 1953 |
| Number: | ~35 |
| Type: | early warning |
| Frequency: | L-band, 1220 to 1350 MHz |
| Prf: | 400 pps |
| Pulsewidth: | 6 μs |
| Range: | 160miles |
| Diameter: | 75feet |
| Azimuth: | 360º |
| Power: | 500 kW x 2 |
The AN/FPS-19 was a long-range search radar developed for the NORAD Distant Early Warning Line (DEW Line) by Raytheon. It was an L-band system working between 1220 and 1350 MHz produced by a 500 kW magnetron. Two such systems were placed back-to-back, one with an antenna that produced a narrow beam to improve range for long-range detection, and the second with a wider fan-shaped beam to cover higher angles at shorter ranges. The former could detect bomber-sized targets to about and the latter covered up to altitude.
The system was developed from the AN/TPS-1, which dated to the late World War II era. Raytheon adapted it to the long-range role by designing much larger antenna systems and other modifications. The first examples were activated in 1957, along with the AN/FPS-23 radars that provided low-altitude coverage between the stations. The AN/FPS-23 was removed in 1963, and the FPS-19 was scheduled to be replaced by the somewhat more powerful AN/FPS-30. The declining role of bomber defense in the era of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) meant these upgrades were not carried out. The FPS-19 remained in service until the late 1980s when they were replaced by the AN/FPS-117 as part of the newly named North Warning System.
The UK equivalent was the AMES Type 80, a significantly more powerful radar that formed the basis of their post-ROTOR network.
Under the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), all U.S. military radar and tracking systems are assigned a unique identifying alphanumeric designation. The letters “AN” (for Army-Navy) are placed ahead of a three-letter code.[1]
Thus, the AN/FPS-19 represents the 19th design of an Army-Navy “Fixed, Radar, Search” electronic device.[1] [2]