The AN/FPS-6 Radar was a long-range height finding radar used by the United States Air Force 's Air Defense Command . The AN/FPS-6 radar was introduced into service in the late 1950s and served as the principal height-finder radar for the United States for several decades thereafter. It was also used by the Royal Air Force alongside their AMES Type 80s . Built by General Electric, the S-band radar operated on a frequency of 2700 to 2900 MHz. Between 1953 and 1960, about 450 units of the AN/FPS-6 and the mobile AN/MPS-14 version were produced. The AN/FPS-90 and AN/FPS-116 radars were identical to the AN/FPS-6 except for receiver modifications.
24-574: The radar consisted of an antenna group, a transmitter group, a receiver group, and an ancillary group. Most fixed sites had a remote group, which allowed the control of the radar from inside the operations center. Also located in operations, was the anti-jam receivers. These receivers were fed with raw video from the tower receiver, and output several types of processed video to enable operators to see through jamming. The ancillary group originally consisted of an AN/OA-270 Range Height Indicator (RHI), and then later upgraded to an AN/OA-929 RHI, which displayed
48-422: A (V) signifier. The (V) signifier would be warranted if the item accepted variable configurations of a particular component. For example: A suffix of "(P)" following the type designation number and any modification letters indicates a Unit which is designed to accept "plug-in" modules capable of changing the function, frequency, or other technical characteristics of the unit. The plug-in is not considered part of
72-466: A group or unit type designation that is already linked to a specific system/subsystem/center/central/set may use ( -FT, -IN) if the system/subsystem/center/central/set uses multiple of the group/unit and they are only distinguishable by length. This use is only for new assignments and will not be retroactive For example: Primary batteries (non-rechargeable) are designated using "BA"; Secondary type batteries (rechargeable) are designated using "BB". JETDS
96-491: A unique identifying alphanumeric designation. The letters “AN” (for Army-Navy) are placed ahead of a three-letter code. Thus, the AN/FPS-6 represents the 6th design of an Army-Navy “Fixed, Radar, Search” electronic device. This United States Air Force article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Joint Electronics Type Designation System The Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS) , which
120-602: Is assigned to: This system is separate from the "M" designation used in the Army Nomenclature System (MIL-STD-1464A). Items are given an Item Level which describes their hierarchy The core of the JETDS system is the combination of a Type Designation with an Item Name to specify a particular item. For example: The type designation is a unique series of letters and numbers which specifies an item. There are three basic forms of type designator used: The Type Designation
144-477: Is denoted by addition of the letter(s) "X", "Y", or "Z". The first such modification would be denoted with an "X", the second with a "Y", the third with a "Z", the fourth with an "XX", etc. If simultaneous modifications are made that improve the equipment as well as affect power input, then both a modification letter (A, B, C, D, etc.) as well as a power requirement modification letter (X, Y, Z, etc.) will be used. For example: A pair of parentheses surrounding where
168-424: Is designed specifically to provide training for one particular unit, then that unit may be specified. If it is a training equipment which can provide practice for various different sets/subsystems/systems etc., then that should be indicated with the appropriate letter indicators. For example: For example: A digit or digits in parentheses following the type designation letters indicates the type of ADPE included in
192-503: Is made up of a two letter group indicator (from the table below), followed by a dash, a group number, followed by a slash, and 1-3 letters specifying the equipment it is "part of" or "used with" (see Table 1). If the group is unique and only "part of" or "used with" one particular equipment, that equipment may be specified. If the group may be used with multiple different items, then it is more appropriate to designate it more generally. For example: The type designation used to specify Units
216-452: Is made up of a unit letter(s) indicator (from the table below), followed by a dash, a unit number, followed by a slash, and 1-3 letters specifying the equipment it is part of or used with (see Table 1). As with Group type designations, if the Unit is unique and is "part of" or "used with" only one particular equipment, that equipment may be specified. If the unit is used with multiple different items,
240-443: Is placed after the type designation number to signify a modification to a specific equipment that still retains at least one-way interchangeability with all previous versions. Modification letters begin with "A" and proceed sequentially. For more information on Interchangeability (see below). Note: the letters "I", "O", "Q", "S", "T", "X", "Y", and "Z" are not to be used as modification letters For example: A suffix "(V)" following
264-484: Is used in conjunction with an approved Item Name drawn from the H-6 Item Name Directory. For example: The type designation used to specify Systems, Subsystems, Centers, Central, and Sets is made up of a prefix AN/ , three type designation indicator letters, a hyphen, and a type designation number. The AN prefix signifies Army-Navy. The three type designation letters (chosen from the table below) specify where
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#1733085479958288-626: The United States Coast Guard in 1950, Canada in 1951 and the NSA in 1959 (though the NSA continued to use its own TSEC telecommunications security nomenclature ). In 1957 the U.S. Department of Defense approved a military standard for the nomenclature, MIL-STD-196. The system has been modified over time, with some types (e.g. carrier pigeon -B- ) dropped and others (e.g. computers and cryptographic equipment) added. The latest version, MIL-STD-196G,
312-474: The equipment designation should include only the indicators which are common or appropriate. If a unit could be described by multiple indicators, the indicator which best describes the unit's primary function should be used. The exception would be if there exists a unit indicator which can describe the unit's multiple functions (see examples below); if such a multi-function describing unit indicator exists, then it should be used. For example: A modification letter
336-619: The equipment is used, what the equipment is, and what its purpose is. The type designation number helps specify the exact item; subsequent items with the same Installation/Type/Purpose are numbered sequentially (i.e. the next item developed after the AN/PRC-34 would be the AN/PRC-35). For example: * Additional info on Installation indicators: ** Additional info on Type of Equipment indicators: The type designation used to specify Groups (assemblies that are used in conjunction with others to function)
360-425: The item. For example: Maintenance equipment that is given a type designation is set up as AN/xxM, where the first two letters after the slash (signifying Installation and Type of equipment) are followed by an M. However, if a maintenance or test Unit or Group is considered a "part of" the item in question, it does not receive the M signifier. For example: A change in the power input voltage, phase, or frequency
384-416: The manufacturer maintains design control are not covered. Electronic material, from a military point of view, generally includes those electronic devices employed in data processing, detection and tracking (underwater, sea, land-based, air and space), recognition and identification, communications, aids to navigation, weapons control and evaluation, flight control, and electronics countermeasures. Nomenclature
408-440: The plug-in's function, then the generic plug-in unit indicator (PL) will be used. For example: Type designators for groups and units like cables, waveguides, cords, etc. may also include a parenthetical "( -FT, -IN)" to designate the specified length. These type designators will not include a specified System/Subsystem/Center/Central/Set type designator after the / but will be given a more generic indicator like /U or /GR. However,
432-550: The raw or anti-jam video, and allowed the operator to position the azimuth of the antenna. At SAGE sites, the antenna azimuth was selected by command from the Air Division, and the operator could slew the antenna plus or minus ten degrees for fine adjustment. The AN/FPS-90 radar was designated a high-power model, using a QK-338A magnetron and rated at 4.5 MW peak power, versus the QK-327A magnetron at 3.5 MW peak power. The receiver mixer
456-412: The type designation number and any modification letters indicates variable components or configurations for said Group/Set/Subsystem/System/Center/Central. A number may follow the parenthetical V to identify a specific configuration. For example: Note: A specific equipment should only be given a (V) signifier if it can be configured with different components, not simply because one of its components has
480-627: The type designation number would be located is used to signify an experimental or developmental model. Type designation number is not required but is useful for clarity. When the developmental model is ready for production, the parentheses are struck off. For example: Electronic type (non-rotating) servo amplifiers are designated "AM"; rotating type servo amplifiers are designated "PU". Plug-in Units which can be described by their function (like receiver, microphone, loudspeaker, etc.) will use those corresponding Unit indicators. If no indicator exists to describe
504-416: The unit itself. For example: A suffix of "(C)" following the type designation number and any modification letters indicates an item which directly contains NSA-controlled cryptographic material. For example: A suffix of "-T n ", where n is a number, indicates equipment (Set, Subsystem, System, Center, or Central) designed to provide training in the operation of a specific set or multiple sets. If it
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#1733085479958528-627: Was adopted 16 February 1943 by the Joint Communications Board for all new Army and Navy airborne, radio, and radar equipment. Over time it was extended to cover the Marine Corps and the Navy's ship, submarine, amphibious, and ground electronic equipment. When the Air Force was established as a separate department, it continued the use of the system for electronic equipment. JETDS was adopted by
552-550: Was also modified to handle the larger signal dynamic range. Due to maintenance costs and high failure rates, these radars were all retrofitted to the same magnetron as the AN/FPS-6 by the late 1960s, and were no longer high power. The radar maintained its AN/FPS-90 designation due to the receiver modifications. Everything else was identical. Under the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), all U.S. military radar and tracking systems are assigned
576-631: Was previously known as the Joint Army-Navy Nomenclature System (AN System. JAN) and the Joint Communications-Electronics Nomenclature System , is a method developed by the U.S. War Department during World War II for assigning an unclassified designator to electronic equipment. In 1957, the JETDS was formalized in MIL-STD-196 . Computer software and commercial unmodified electronics for which
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