WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2014 – The U.S. military delivered three lightweight, counter-mortar radar systems yesterday to Ukrainian armed forces, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters today.The announcement doesn't state, but assume this is the AN/TPQ-48, which has been used in Iraq, exported and superceded in the US Army. Hope the Ukrainians read the LCMR facebook page and figure out how to use it effectively.
The radar systems are the first few of 20 that will be delivered during the next several weeks and U.S. military members will begin training Ukrainian armed forces in mid-December, Warren said.
US Delivers Counter-Mortar Radar Systems To Ukraine Following Russia’s Warning Against Aiding Kiev
bThe DoD also stated that it is up to the Ukraine’s armed forces how, where and when they want to use the systems.
“It’s also up to the Ukrainians if they attach these radar [systems] to a fire-direction system, which will allow for counter battery fires, or if they use them independently and react with ground forces,” Warren said.
The radar systems are part of the $118 million in non-lethal equipment and training the U.S. has committed to assisting Ukrainian military.
On Friday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Jeff Rathke announced that lethal military assistance to Ukraine still “remains an option,” while U.S. Senator John McCain told Sputnik that the newly-elected U.S. Congress will pass resolutions to pressurize the U.S. President Barack Obama to offer lethal military assistance to Kiev.
On Thursday, Russia warned the U.S. not to provide arms to the Ukrainian forces. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said that if the U.S. decides to offer lethal weapons to Ukraine, it would be a direct violation of the Geneva Agreements.
During a visit to the U.S. in September, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko requested the Obama administration to provide Ukraine with lethal military assistance. However, the U.S. government has so far refused to grant the request.
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| Joe Biden: Russia must uphold Ukraine truce - CSMonitor.com |
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| C-17 Cargo Hold carried non-lethal military supplies |
US Delivers Radar Systems to Ukraine
US delivers anti-mortar radars to Ukraine: Pentagon
The counter-mortar radar systems were flown to Ukraine in a C-17 cargo plane that accompanied US Vice President Joe Biden, who paid a visit to Kiev on the first anniversary of protests that unleashed a year of upheaval.TASS: World - US delivers three counter-mortar radar systems to Ukraine
The radar systems are the first few of 20 that Washington plans to send to Ukraine during the next several weeks. In mid-December, US military instructors plan to start training Ukrainian armed forces.
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| AN/TPQ-48 |
The AN/TPQ-48 Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar (LCMR) is a man portable system, designed to detect, track and locate primarily mortars, with later versions able to also track rockets. It provides 360 degree surveillance using an electronically scanned antenna. It has two separate modes of operation; sense and warn and counter-fire
Army fields next-generation radar | Article | The United States Army
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 17, 2012) -- The Army has begun fielding new radar systems to protect forward-deployed forces.Iraq Acquiring Artillery-Finder Radars
Several next-generation, mobile Counter Target Acquisition, or CTA radar systems are now able to provide Soldiers with a 360-degree protective envelope or warning capability against incoming enemy rocket, artillery and mortar fire, service officials said Oct. 10, at a Pentagon display.
The radar systems on display, the AN/TPQ-53 truck-mounted mobile radar system, and the Humvee-mounted AN/TPQ-50 Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar, incorporate a series of technological upgrades to prior iterations of deployed radar capability developed through Army and industry science and technology efforts.
Mortars and rockets have been common threats in Iraq, and advanced counter-battery radars have been the first line of defense for military bases and key civilian sectors. The systems do suffer from “false positives,” but on the whole, they’re very valuable. Michael Yon, embedded with 1-24 (“Deuce Four”) in Mosul in 2005, offered a first hand description of counter-battery radars’ effect(3) LCMR: Not just an additional dutyon enemy tactics. With American forces drawing down and leaving, it’s no surprise that Iraq wants some.
Since fielding in 2003, the AN/TPQ-48 Lightweight Countermortar Radar has provided the joint force with an invaluable 6,400 mil countermortar acquisition capability that is essential in counter-insurgency operations. In an operating environment where units, sometimes as small as platoons, operate from remote combat outposts and forward operating bases, the LCMR is often the only counterfire target acquisition system available. Unlike its radar cousins, the Q-36 or Q-37 Firefinder radars, the LCMR was not fielded with an LCMR operator military occupational skill or modified table of organization and equipment section.
According to Field Manual 3-09.23 Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for the Modular Fires Battalion Draft Version 2 dated May 8, 2009, “Target acquisition platoons are organized with a platoon headquarters, a Q-36 radar section and Q-48 lightweight countermortar radars. In addition, the heavy brigade combat team and Stryker brigade combat team fires battalion have a Q-37 radar section.” Note the lack of an allocated section for the LCMR. This has led to considerable shortcomings in proper emplacement, operation and maintenance that have reduced the LCMR’s overall effectiveness.
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The LCMR requires trained, certified and permanently manned sections to achieve its full operating capability, just as any weapon system or command and control application. The lack of expertise and dedicated manpower has created a habit and, more often, a necessity for operators and fires staffs to forward problems and issues — many of which entail 10- to 20- level maintenance, employment and basic operator-level troubleshooting directly to civilian field service representatives.
Frequent issues. The most common errors associated with the employing the LCMR stem from the lack of adequate planning and understanding of the LCMR’s capabilities and limitations. Operators frequently assume that because the LCMR has a 6,400 mil acquisition capability, location considerations are minimal. Leaders must take the LCMR’s operational requirements into account in their forward operating base/combat outpost defensive plans with the same emphasis provided to the Firefinder radars, howitzers, mortars and direct fire weapons systems. Placing the LCMR on the highest point or building on a forward operating base often surrounded by numerous radio antennae is not always the optimal location for the radar.
1 comment:
The title of this article should now read "United States delivers counter-mortar radar to the Russian Federation".
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