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88-508: The Sea-Based X-band radar ( SBX-1 ) is a floating, self-propelled, mobile active electronically scanned array early-warning radar station designed to operate in high winds and heavy seas. It was developed as part of the United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Ballistic Missile Defense System. The radar is mounted on a fifth generation CS-50 twin-hulled semi-submersible oil platform . Conversion of

176-411: A "limited test support" role, "while also retaining the ability to recall it to an active, operational status if and when it is needed." In April 2012, it was reported that SBX-1 had left Pearl Harbor and was assumed to be being deployed to monitor North Korea's planned Unha-3 missile in the launch window of 12–16 April 2012. The vessel returned to Pearl Harbor on 21 May 2012. It redeployed to monitor

264-498: A flight test on 31 January 2010, designated FTG-06. The test was a simulation of a North Korean or Iranian missile launch. The test failure arose from two factors, the first being that algorithms in the SBX radar software (designed to filter out extraneous information from the target scene) were left disengaged for the test, and the second was a mechanical failure in a thruster on the kill vehicle. During flight test FTG-06a on 15 December 2010,

352-626: A horsehide cover. Baseballs have gone through only a few small changes since the compromise. During World War II , the United States banned the use of rubber for non war-related goods, including for baseballs. So in 1943 , instead of using rubber, baseballs were made with rubber-like shells of balata (also used in golf balls), which is obtained from a particular type of tropical tree . Hitting declined significantly that year. The introduction of synthetic rubber in 1944 resulted in baseballs returning to normal. Offense would return to normal after

440-604: A hybrid approach, the benefits of AESA (e.g., multiple independent beams) can be realized at a lower cost compared to pure AESA. Bell Labs proposed replacing the Nike Zeus radars with a phased array system in 1960, and was given the go-ahead for development in June 1961. The result was the Zeus Multi-function Array Radar (ZMAR), an early example of an active electronically steered array radar system. ZMAR became MAR when

528-491: A much simpler radar whose primary purpose was to track the outgoing Sprint missiles before they became visible to the potentially distant MAR. These smaller Missile Site Radars (MSR) were passively scanned, forming only a single beam instead of the MAR's multiple beams. While MAR was ultimately successful, the cost of the system was enormous. When the ABM problem became so complex that even

616-441: A much wider range of frequencies, to the point of changing operating frequency with every pulse sent out. Shrinking the entire assembly (the transmitter, receiver and antenna) into a single "transmitter-receiver module" (TRM) about the size of a carton of milk and arraying these elements produces an AESA. The primary advantage of an AESA over a PESA is the capability of the different modules to operate on different frequencies. Unlike

704-420: A narrow range of frequencies to high power levels. To scan a portion of the sky, the radar antenna must be physically moved to point in different directions. Starting in the 1960s new solid-state devices capable of delaying the transmitter signal in a controlled way were introduced. That led to the first practical large-scale passive electronically scanned array (PESA), or simply phased array radar. PESAs took

792-729: A negligible portion of a modern MLB team's operating budget. Recreational-grade baseballs can be purchased by the public for an even lower unit price. Once discarded by the umpire, game-used baseballs not hit into the stands are collected by batboys . Many baseballs involved in historical plays are displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown , New York . Other baseballs associated with noteworthy in-game events are often authenticated and sold as memorabilia . Most such sales today are conducted on MLB's official website. The total proceeds from such sales represent

880-456: A rotating antenna, or similar passive array using phase or amplitude comparison . Typically RWRs store the detected pulses for a short period of time, and compare their broadcast frequency and pulse repetition frequency against a database of known radars. The direction to the source is normally combined with symbology indicating the likely purpose of the radar – airborne early warning and control , surface-to-air missile , etc. This technique

968-406: A second polarization, totaling 44,000 feed horns. The base is roughly 2/3 populated, with space for installation of additional modules. The current modules are concentrated toward the center to minimize grating lobes. This configuration allows it to support the very-long-range target discrimination and tracking that GMD's midcourse segment requires. The radar is never pointed at land, for the safety of

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1056-451: A signal and then listening for its echo off distant objects. Each of these paths, to and from the target, is subject to the inverse square law of propagation in both the transmitted signal and the signal reflected back. That means that a radar's received energy drops with the fourth power of the distance, which is why radar systems require high powers, often in the megawatt range, to be effective at long range. The radar signal being sent out

1144-415: A signal from a single source, split it into hundreds of paths, selectively delayed some of them, and sent them to individual antennas. The radio signals from the separate antennas overlapped in space, and the interference patterns between the individual signals were controlled to reinforce the signal in certain directions, and mute it in all others. The delays could be easily controlled electronically, allowing

1232-489: A significant portion of the total purchase cost of baseballs since even balls used for relatively minor accomplishments can each fetch hundreds or thousands of dollars. In 1909, sports magnate and former player Alfred J. Reach patented the ivory centered "ivory nut" in Panama and suggested it might be even better in a baseball than cork. However, Philadelphia Athletics president Benjamin F. Shibe , who had invented and patented

1320-636: A single frequency at a time. The PESA must utilize a Butler matrix if multiple beams are required. The AESA can radiate multiple beams of radio waves at multiple frequencies simultaneously. AESA radars can spread their signal emissions across a wider range of frequencies, which makes them more difficult to detect over background noise , allowing ships and aircraft to radiate powerful radar signals while still remaining stealthy, as well as being more resistant to jamming. Hybrids of AESA and PESA can also be found, consisting of subarrays that individually resemble PESAs, where each subarray has its own RF front end . Using

1408-618: A system like MAR could no longer deal with realistic attack scenarios, the Nike-X concept was abandoned in favor of much simpler concepts like the Sentinel program , which did not use MAR. A second example, MAR-II, was abandoned in-place on Kwajalein Atoll . The first Soviet APAR, the 5N65 , was developed in 1963–1965 as a part of the S-225 ABM system. After some modifications in the system concept in 1967 it

1496-400: A thrown baseball due to the drag caused by the interaction between the stitching and the air. Controlling the orientation of the stitches and the speed of the ball's rotation allows a pitcher to affect the behavior of the pitched ball in specific ways. Commonly employed pitches include the curveball , the slider , the two-seam fastball , the four-seam fastball , the sinker , the cutter and

1584-414: A unit price which would be equal to $ 110 today. Due to their high relative cost, club owners in the early 20th century were reluctant to spend much money on new balls if not necessary. It was not unusual for a single baseball to last an entire game, nor for a baseball to be reused for the next game especially if it was still in relatively good condition as would likely be the case for a ball introduced late in

1672-419: A wide band even in a single pulse, a technique known as a "chirp". In this case, the jamming will be the same frequency as the radar for only a short period, while the rest of the radar pulse is unjammed. AESAs can also be switched to a receive-only mode, and use these powerful jamming signals to track its source, something that required a separate receiver in older platforms. By integrating received signals from

1760-456: A wider angle of total coverage. This high off-nose pointing allows the AESA equipped fighter to employ a crossing the T maneuver, often referred to as "beaming" in the context of air-to-air combat, against a mechanically scanned radar that would filter out the low closing speed of the perpendicular flight as ground clutter while the AESA swivels 40 degrees towards the target in order to keep it within

1848-405: Is 9 to 9.25 inches (229 to 235 mm) in circumference i.e. 2.86 to 2.94 inches (73 to 75 mm) in diameter, with a weight of 5 to 5.25 ounces (0.142 to 0.149 kg). The leather cover is commonly formed from two saddle-shaped pieces stitched together, typically with red-dyed thread. There are 108 stitches on a regulation baseball. That stitching plays a significant role in the trajectory of

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1936-411: Is a simple radio signal, and can be received with a simple radio receiver . Military aircraft and ships have defensive receivers, called " radar warning receivers " (RWR), which detect when an enemy radar beam is on them, thus revealing the position of the enemy. Unlike the radar unit, which must send the pulse out and then receive its reflection, the target's receiver does not need the reflection and thus

2024-417: Is common on ships, for instance. Unlike the radar, which knows which direction it is sending its signal, the receiver simply gets a pulse of energy and has to interpret it. Since the radio spectrum is filled with noise, the receiver's signal is integrated over a short period of time, making periodic sources like a radar add up and stand out over the random background. The rough direction can be calculated using

2112-607: Is derived from the radar used in the THAAD theater ballistic missile defense system , and is a part of the layered ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) program of the United States Missile Defense Agency (MDA). One important difference from Aegis is the use of X band in the SBX. Aegis uses S band , and Patriot uses the higher-frequency C band . The X band frequency is higher still, so its shorter wavelength enables finer resolution of tracked objects. The radar

2200-454: Is much less useful against a radar with a frequency-agile (solid state) transmitter. Since the AESA (or PESA) can change its frequency with every pulse (except when using doppler filtering), and generally does so using a random sequence, integrating over time does not help pull the signal out of the background noise. Moreover, a radar may be designed to extend the duration of the pulse and lower its peak power. An AESA or modern PESA will often have

2288-448: Is not - the flexible cover is supported by positive air pressure amounting to a few inches of water. The amount of air pressure is variable depending on weather conditions. The radar antenna itself is described as being 384 m (4,130 sq ft). It has 45,000 solid-state transmit-receive modules mounted on an octagonal flat base which can move ±270 degrees in azimuth and 0 to 85 degrees elevation (although software currently limits

2376-434: Is then disconnected and the antenna is connected to a sensitive receiver which amplifies any echos from target objects. By measuring the time it takes for the signal to return, the radar receiver can determine the distance to the object. The receiver then sends the resulting output to a display of some sort . The transmitter elements were typically klystron tubes or magnetrons , which are suitable for amplifying or generating

2464-412: Is used as the setting for the 2022 action drama film Interceptor . The SBX-1 has become known to locals of Oahu as the " Golf Ball " or the "Pearl of Pearl Harbor" due to its color and shape. Active electronically scanned array The AESA is a more advanced, sophisticated, second-generation of the original PESA phased array technology. PESAs can only emit a single beam of radio waves at

2552-442: Is used. Target motion analysis can estimate these quantities by incorporating many directional measurements over time, along with knowledge of the position of the receiver and constraints on the possible motion of the target. Since each element in an AESA is a powerful radio receiver, active arrays have many roles besides traditional radar. One use is to dedicate several of the elements to reception of common radar signals, eliminating

2640-605: Is very dangerous to throw because it is so slick and hard. By rule, balls used in the professional game must be rubbed with a mud known as "rubbing mud" , which is typically applied either by the umpires or someone working under their supervision before each game, and is intended to help the pitcher's grip. Because the mud discolors the ball, many fans prefer to purchase non-game-used balls for purposes such as collecting autographs, etc. In contrast, recreational-grade baseballs are designed so as not to require any special preparation before being used. Three common forms of baseball exist:

2728-406: Is why AESAs are also known as low probability of intercept radars . Modern RWRs must be made highly sensitive (small angles and bandwidths for individual antennas, low transmission loss and noise) and add successive pulses through time-frequency processing to achieve useful detection rates. Jamming is likewise much more difficult against an AESA. Traditionally, jammers have operated by determining

Sea-based X-band radar - Misplaced Pages Continue

2816-709: The IMO number of 8765412. The first such vessel is scheduled to be based in Adak Island , Alaska , part of the Aleutian Islands . From that location it will be able to track missiles launched toward the US from both North Korea and China . Although her homeport is in Alaska, she will be tasked with moving throughout the Pacific Ocean to support her mission. The hull code number given to

2904-552: The Pine Tar Incident in the 1980s was one famous incident triggered by a capricious enforcement of an obscure one. Today, MLB teams are required to have a minimum of 156 baseballs ready for use in each game. When combined with baseballs needed for practice, etc. each MLB team uses tens of thousands of balls every season. However, modern professional-grade baseballs purchased in bulk as is the case with professional teams only cost about seven dollars each as of 2024 and thus make up

2992-406: The changeup . In the early, mid-1800s days of baseball , there was a great variety in the size, shape, weight, and manufacturing of baseballs. Early baseballs were made with a rubber core from old, melted shoes, wrapped in yarn and leather. Fish eyes were also used as cores in some places. Pitchers usually made their own balls, which were used throughout the game, softening and coming unraveled as

3080-487: The 'building blocks' of an AESA radar. The requisite electronics technology was developed in-house via Department of Defense research programs such as MMIC Program. In 2016 the Congress funded a military industry competition to produce new radars for two dozen National Guard fighter aircraft. Radar systems generally work by connecting an antenna to a powerful radio transmitter to emit a short pulse of signal. The transmitter

3168-400: The 1920 death of batter Ray Chapman after being hit in the head by a pitch, perhaps due to his difficulty in seeing the ball during twilight, an effort was made to replace dirty or worn baseballs. However, even though scores of new balls are used nowadays in every game, some rules intended solely to reduce the frequency (and associated expense) of replacing balls during a game remain in force -

3256-444: The 1960s, followed by airborne sensors as the electronics shrank. AESAs are the result of further developments in solid-state electronics. In earlier systems the transmitted signal was originally created in a klystron or traveling wave tube or similar device, which are relatively large. Receiver electronics were also large due to the high frequencies that they worked with. The introduction of gallium arsenide microelectronics through

3344-448: The 1980s served to greatly reduce the size of the receiver elements until effective ones could be built at sizes similar to those of handheld radios, only a few cubic centimeters in volume. The introduction of JFETs and MESFETs did the same to the transmitter side of the systems as well. It gave rise to amplifier-transmitters with a low-power solid-state waveform generator feeding an amplifier, allowing any radar so equipped to transmit on

3432-461: The AESA system of a Raptor to act like a WiFi access point, able to transmit data at 548 megabits per second and receive at gigabit speed; this is far faster than the Link 16 system used by US and allied aircraft, which transfers data at just over 1 Mbit/s. To achieve these high data rates requires a highly directional antenna which AESA provides but which precludes reception by other units not within

3520-517: The AESA's 60 degree off-angle limit. With a half wavelength distance between the elements, the maximum beam angle is approximately ± 45 {\displaystyle \pm 45} °. With a shorter element distance, the highest field of view (FOV) for a flat phased array antenna is currently 120° ( ± 60 {\displaystyle \pm 60} °), although this can be combined with mechanical steering as noted above. The first AESA radar employed on an operational warship

3608-457: The National League president's signature in black ink. Bob Feller stated that when he was a rookie in the 1930s, National League baseball laces were black, intertwined with red; American League baseball laces were blue and red. In 2000, Major League Baseball reorganized its structure to eliminate the position of league presidents, and switched to one ball specification for both leagues. Under

Sea-based X-band radar - Misplaced Pages Continue

3696-494: The PESA, where the signal is generated at single frequencies by a small number of transmitters, in the AESA each module generates and radiates its own independent signal. This allows the AESA to produce numerous simultaneous "sub-beams" that it can recognize due to different frequencies, and actively track a much larger number of targets. AESAs can also produce beams that consist of many different frequencies at once, using post-processing of

3784-548: The SBX has been on operational deployments in the Pacific, including the waters off Alaska. The ship has not moored at Alaska, in spite of the construction of a $ 26 million, eight-point mooring chain system installed in 2007 in Adak 's Kuluk Bay . On 23 June 2009, the SBX was moved to offshore Hawaii in response to a potential North Korean missile launch. Between 2009 and 2010, the vessel spent 396 continuous days at sea. The SBX failed during

3872-625: The SBX performed as expected, but intercept of the target missile was again not achieved. In May 2011, the SBX-1 entered Vigor Shipyard (formerly the Todd Pacific Shipyard) in Seattle for a $ 27 million upgrade and maintenance work by contractor Boeing. The work was completed in about three months and in August 2011, SBX-1 departed Seattle for deployment. In December 2011, MDA transferred responsibility for

3960-541: The SBX project manager for MDA, said that the "SBX is the only one of its kind and there are no current plans for another one". In July 2011, a Missile Defense Agency spokesman explained that other, smaller radars in the Pacific will "pick up the slack" while SBX is in port with its radar turned off. The SBX deployed in 2006. The ship has spent time for maintenance and repair at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii several times, including 170 days in 2006, 63 days in 2007, 63 days in 2008, 177 days in 2009, and 51 days in 2010. When not at Hawaii,

4048-524: The SBX vessel management and physical security to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command . MDA retains responsibility for communications, the X-band Radar, and for mission integration. In February 2012, the Missile Defense Agency requested only $ 9.7 million per year for Fiscal Years 2013 through 2017, down from $ 176.8 million in fiscal 2012. This reduced amount would be used to maintain SBX in

4136-695: The SBX vessel, "SBX-1", indicates the possibility of further units of the class. In circumstances when a vessel is required to be continually on duty over a long period of time, common naval practice is to have at least three units of the type available to allow for replenishment, repair and overhaul. Three further vessels of the CS-50/Moss Sirius design were under construction or contract at the Severodvinsk Shipyard in Russia as of early 2007, but were configured for oil production. On 11 May 2011, Col. Mark Arn,

4224-515: The Zeus program ended in favor of the Nike-X system in 1963. The MAR (Multi-function Array Radar) was made of a large number of small antennas, each one connected to a separate computer-controlled transmitter or receiver. Using a variety of beamforming and signal processing steps, a single MAR was able to perform long-distance detection, track generation, discrimination of warheads from decoys, and tracking of

4312-454: The antennas beamwidth, whereas like most Wi-Fi designs, Link-16 transmits its signal omni-directionally to ensure all units within range can receive the data. AESAs are also much more reliable than either PESAs or older designs. Since each module operates independently of the others, single failures have little effect on the operation of the system as a whole. Additionally, the modules individually operate at low powers, perhaps 40 to 60 watts, so

4400-447: The baseball. Generally a tighter-wound baseball will leave the bat faster, and fly further. Since the baseballs used today are wound tighter than in previous years, notably the dead-ball era that prevailed through 1920, people often say the ball is " juiced " . The height of the seams also affects how well a pitcher can pitch. Baseballs used in MLB and the top minor leagues (AAA) are made to

4488-496: The beam to be steered very quickly without moving the antenna. A PESA can scan a volume of space much quicker than a traditional mechanical system. Additionally, thanks to progress in electronics, PESAs added the ability to produce several active beams, allowing them to continue scanning the sky while at the same time focusing smaller beams on certain targets for tracking or guiding semi-active radar homing missiles. PESAs quickly became widespread on ships and large fixed emplacements in

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4576-491: The bounce in the balls and that after extensive testing, "... we are comfortable that these baseballs meet all of our performance specifications." The same memo also noted that more teams had applied for permission to use humidors to store their baseballs. As of 2020 only the Arizona Diamondbacks , Boston Red Sox , Colorado Rockies , and Seattle Mariners , were using the devices. Cushioned wood cores were patented in

4664-429: The capability to alter these parameters during operation. This makes no difference to the total energy reflected by the target but makes the detection of the pulse by an RWR system less likely. Nor does the AESA have any sort of fixed pulse repetition frequency, which can also be varied and thus hide any periodic brightening across the entire spectrum. Older generation RWRs are essentially useless against AESA radars, which

4752-429: The change back to the regular ball and return of players from active duty. In 1974 , due to a shortage of the material, horsehide was replaced by the more abundant cowhide as the cover material. In 1976 , MLB ended its relationship with Spalding for manufacturing their baseballs and switched to Rawlings , which still provides the balls to MLB today. A significant increase in the number of home runs since

4840-653: The combined signal from a number of TRMs to re-create a display as if there was a single powerful beam being sent. However, this means that the noise present in each frequency is also received and added. AESAs add many capabilities of their own to those of the PESAs. Among these are: the ability to form multiple beams simultaneously, to use groups of TRMs for different roles concurrently, like radar detection, and, more importantly, their multiple simultaneous beams and scanning frequencies create difficulties for traditional, correlation-type radar detectors. Radar systems work by sending out

4928-491: The continued use of hand-made balls. The raw materials are imported from the United States, assembled into baseballs and shipped back. Throughout the 20th Century, Major League Baseball used two technically identical but differently marked balls. The American League had "Official American League" and the American League's president's signature in blue ink, while National League baseballs had "Official National League" and

5016-494: The cork centered ball, commented, "I look for the leagues to adopt an 'ivory nut' baseball just as soon as they adopt a ferro-concrete bat and a base studded with steel spikes ." Both leagues adopted Shibe's cork-centered ball in 1910. The official major league ball is made by Rawlings , which produces the stitched balls in Costa Rica . Attempts to automate the manufacturing process were never entirely successful, leading to

5104-401: The current rules, a major league baseball weighs between 5 and 5 + 1 ⁄ 4 ounces (142 and 149 g), and is 9 to 9 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (229–235 mm) in circumference ( 2 + 7 ⁄ 8 –3 in or 73–76 mm in diameter). There are 108 double stitches on a baseball, or 216 individual stitches. While the decision whether to discard a baseball is formally at

5192-411: The discretion of the home plate umpire, today baseballs are expected to be immediately replaced after even minor scratches, discoloration and undesirable texture that can occur during the game. Balls used for pre-game warm-ups are often given to fans. Because baseballs are almost always replaced after each half-inning it is increasingly customary for players to give balls used to end half-innings to fans in

5280-437: The first few years they were used, balls were hit further and faster than rubber core balls. Pitchers adapted with the use of the spitball , which is now illegal, and an emphasis on changing the ball. In 1920, a couple of important changes were made to baseballs. They began to be made using machine winders and a higher grade of yarn from Australia . Offensive statistics rose immediately, and players and fans alike believed

5368-429: The front rows, either by handing the ball to a fan (especially a child) in the front row or by gently tossing it into the stands, especially if the player holding it is a home team player close to the stands as for example is often the case for an outfielder catching a fly ball. MLB has long recognized any ball that comes into the possession of a spectator by any lawful means after entering the stands as immediately becoming

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5456-433: The game went on. One of the more popular earlier ball designs was the "lemon peel ball," named after its distinct four lines of stitching design. Lemon peel balls were darker, smaller, and weighed less than other baseballs, prompting them to travel further and bounce higher, causing very high-scoring games. In the mid-1850s, teams in and around New York met in an attempt to standardize the baseball. They decided to regulate

5544-443: The game. Balls hit into the stands were retrieved by team employees in order to be put back in play, as is still done today in some other sports. Over the course of a game, a typical ball would become discolored due to dirt, and often tobacco juice and other materials applied by players; damage would also occur, causing slight rips and seam bursts. This would lower the offense during the games giving pitchers an advantage. However, after

5632-413: The identified warheads. Testing has raised doubts about the system's ability to perform these tasks, to deal with multiple targets, and to report accurately to command authorities. The vessel has many small radomes for various communications tasks and a large central dome that encloses a phased-array , 1,800 tonne (4,000,000 pound) X band radar antenna. The small radomes are rigid, but the central dome

5720-441: The inhabitants. In addition to the power consumed by the radar, the thrusters which propel the vessel are electric and require substantial power. The maximum speed is approximately 8 knots (9.2 mph; 15 km/h). To support this and all other electrical equipment, the vessel currently has six 3.6-megawatt generators (12-cylinder Caterpillar diesels). The generators are in two compartments, one port and one starboard. The radar

5808-401: The late 19th century by sports equipment manufacturer Spalding , the company founded by former baseball star A.G. Spalding . In recent years, various synthetic materials have been used to create baseballs; however, they are generally considered lower quality, stitched with two red thick thread, and are not used in the major leagues . Using different types of materials affects the performance of

5896-408: The maximum physical elevation to 80 degrees). The maximum azimuth and elevation velocities are approximately 5-8 degrees per second. In addition to the physical motion of the base, the beam can be electronically steered off bore-sight (details classified). There are currently 22,000 modules installed on the base. Each module has one transmit-receive feed horn and one auxiliary receive feed horn for

5984-541: The need for a large high-voltage power supply is eliminated. Replacing a mechanically scanned array with a fixed AESA mount (such as on the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet ) can help reduce an aircraft's overall radar cross-section (RCS), but some designs (such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and Gripen NG ) forgo this advantage in order to combine mechanical scanning with electronic scanning and provide

6072-464: The need for a separate radar warning receiver. The same basic concept can be used to provide traditional radio support, and with some elements also broadcasting, form a very high bandwidth data link . The F-35 uses this mechanism to send sensor data between aircraft in order to provide a synthetic picture of higher resolution and range than any one radar could generate. In 2007, tests by Northrop Grumman , Lockheed Martin, and L-3 Communications enabled

6160-438: The new balls helped batters hit the ball further. In 1925, Milton Reach patented his "cushion cork" center. It was a cork core surrounded by black rubber, then another layer of red rubber. In 1934, The National League and American League came to a compromise and standardized the baseball. They agreed on a cushion cork center; two wrappings of yarn; a special rubber cement coating; two more wrappings of yarn; and, finally,

6248-404: The next North Korean launch attempt at the end of 2012. In April 2013, it was reported that SBX-1 was being deployed to monitor North Korea. It has never been deployed to Adak. In November 2015, it was moved to Pearl Harbor for repairs and testing. It departed Pearl Harbor November 2017 for North Pacific Ocean waters to monitor North Korea ballistic missile operations. In January 2017 the SBX-1

6336-433: The one to be used to jam. Most radars using modern electronics are capable of changing their operating frequency with every pulse. This can make jamming less effective; although it is possible to send out broadband white noise to conduct barrage jamming against all the possible frequencies, this reduces the amount of jammer energy in any one frequency. An AESA has the additional capability of spreading its frequencies across

6424-472: The operating frequency of the radar and then broadcasting a signal on it to confuse the receiver as to which is the "real" pulse and which is the jammer's. This technique works as long as the radar system cannot easily change its operating frequency. When the transmitters were based on klystron tubes this was generally true, and radars, especially airborne ones, had only a few frequencies to choose among. A jammer could listen to those possible frequencies and select

6512-472: The outbound interceptor missiles. MAR allowed the entire battle over a wide space to be controlled from a single site. Each MAR, and its associated battle center, would process tracks for hundreds of targets. The system would then select the most appropriate battery for each one, and hand off particular targets for them to attack. One battery would normally be associated with the MAR, while others would be distributed around it. Remote batteries were equipped with

6600-440: The property of that spectator, although balls hit out of the park for momentous occasions (record setting, or for personal reasons) are often requested to be returned by the fan who catches or otherwise retrieves it, or donated freely by the fan. Usually, the player will give the fan an autographed bat and/or other autographed items in exchange for the special ball. Without proper preparation, an official professional-grade baseball

6688-523: The same specifications, but labelled separately. Balls used in the lower minor leagues (up to AA) use slightly different specifications intended to make those balls somewhat more durable, although MLB pitchers on rehab assignments in the minors are usually supplied with major league-grade balls. Generally, in Little League through college leagues, the seams are markedly higher than balls used in professional leagues. Baseballs cost three dollars each in 1900,

6776-477: The signal drops off only as the square of distance. This means that the receiver is always at an advantage [neglecting disparity in antenna size] over the radar in terms of range - it will always be able to detect the signal long before the radar can see the target's echo. Since the position of the radar is extremely useful information in an attack on that platform, this means that radars generally must be turned off for lengthy periods if they are subject to attack; this

6864-416: The start of the 2016 baseball season caused MLB officials to establish a committee that would examine the manufacturing process. In December 2019, MLB officials said that a lower stitching seam profile had most likely led to the increase in home runs, but also pledged to consider studying the issue. On February 5, 2021, MLB issued a memo that said that Rawlings had altered their manufacturing process to reduce

6952-483: The system on a mobile sea-based platform was intended to allow the vessel to be moved to areas where it is needed for enhanced missile defense. Fixed radars provide coverage for a very limited area due to the curvature of the Earth . Even though the same limitation applies to the SBX, its ability to move mitigates this limitation. SBX's primary task is discrimination of enemy warheads from decoys, followed by precision tracking of

7040-530: The targets' own radar along with a lower rate of data from its own broadcasts, a detection system with a precise RWR like an AESA can generate more data with less energy. Some receive beamforming-capable systems, usually ground-based, may even discard a transmitter entirely. However, using a single receiving antenna only gives a direction. Obtaining a range and a target vector requires at least two physically separate passive devices for triangulation to provide instantaneous determinations, unless phase interferometry

7128-495: The team usually manufactured their own baseballs to use in games. There is no agreement on who invented the commonplace figure-8 stitching on baseballs. Some historians say it was invented by Ellis Drake, a shoemaker's son, to make the cover stronger and more durable. Others say it was invented by Colonel William A. Cutler and sold to William Harwood in 1858. Harwood built the nation's first baseball factory in Natick, Massachusetts , and

7216-815: The vessel was carried out at the AmFELS yard in Brownsville, Texas ; the radar mount was built and mounted on the vessel at the Kiewit yard in Ingleside, Texas . It is nominally based at Adak Island in Alaska , but has spent significant time at Pearl Harbor in test status. SBX-1 is part of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system under development by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The decision to place

7304-482: The weight of baseballs at 5 1 ⁄ 2 –6 oz, and with a circumference of 8–11 inches. There were still many variations of baseballs since they were completely handmade . Balls with more rubber and a tighter winding went further and faster (known as "live balls"), and balls with less rubber and a looser winding (known as "dead balls") did not travel as far or fast. This is generally true for all baseballs. Teams often used this knowledge to their advantage, as players from

7392-571: Was built at Sary Shagan Test Range in 1970–1971 and nicknamed Flat Twin in the West. Four years later another radar of this design was built on Kura Test Range , while the S-225 system was never commissioned. US based manufacturers of the AESA radars used in the F-22 and Super Hornet include Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. These companies also design, develop and manufacture the transmit/receive modules which comprise

7480-571: Was deployed into the Pacific during North Korean threats of ICBM and nuclear attacks on other nations. The radar was able to perform its mission of tracking a target operating at ICBM speeds during the interception of a mock ICBM by a GMD interceptor on 30 May 2017. In May 2019, the SBX-1 docked on the north side of Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, where it underwent maintenance. It departed Pearl Harbor on 26 September 2019. A fictionalized version of SBX-1, armed with "Interceptor" anti-ballistic missiles ,

7568-516: Was described by Lt. Gen Trey Obering (former director of MDA) as being able to track an object the size of a baseball over San Francisco in California from Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, approximately 2,900 miles (4,700 km) away. The radar will guide land-based missiles from Alaska and California , as well as in-theater assets, depending on the mission. The vessel is classed by ABS and has

7656-619: Was the Japanese OPS-24 manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric introduced on the JDS Hamagiri (DD-155), the first ship of the latter batch of the Asagiri-class destroyer , launched in 1988. Baseball (object) A baseball is the ball used in the sport of baseball . It consists of a rubber or cork center wrapped in yarn and covered with white natural horsehide or cowhide , or a synthetic composite leather. A regulation baseball

7744-560: Was the first to popularize and mass-produce baseballs with the figure-8 design. In 1876, the National League (NL) was created, and standard rules and regulations were put in place. A.G. Spalding , a well-known baseball pitcher who made his own balls, convinced the NL to adopt his ball as the official baseball for the NL. It remained that way for a century. In 1910, the cork-core ball was introduced. They outlasted rubber core baseballs; and for

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