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Pave Paws radar
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Pave Paws radar system
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Pave Paws radar

Also known as: AN/FPS-115
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Pave Paws radar system
Pave Paws radar system The PAVE PAWS radar system, created by the Raytheon Company, at Clear Air Force Station, near Anderson, Alaska.

The Pave Paws radar (AN/FPS-115) is an ultra-high-frequency (UHF) phased-array radar system designed to detect submarine-launched ballistic missiles. It is capable of detecting targets with a radar cross section of 10 square meters at a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km). The antenna contains 1,792 active elements within a diameter of 72.5 feet (22 meters), with each element being a module containing its own transmitter, receiver, and other components. Two antennas form a system, each covering a 120-degree sector in azimuth and a vertical coverage from 3 to 85 degrees. An upgraded version of this radar is used in the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) network, which provides warning of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Both Pave Paws and BMEWS radars can also detect and track satellites and other space objects.1

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. radar - Ballistic missile defense and satellite-surveillance radars
  2. radar - Postwar progress
  3. radar - Airborne combat radar

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