Mindef buys weapon-locating radars in $110 million deal
Singapore has acquired new weapon-locating radars manufactured by defence and security company Lockheed Martin.
Jane's Defence Weekly reported on Thursday that the contract was signed in April, and work on the AN/TPQ-53 radar systems is estimated to be completed by March 2019.
The United States Defence Security Cooperation Agency said that Singapore had requested a sale of six such radar systems back in 2013.
Singapore's Defence Ministry (Mindef) confirmed the sale but did not comment on the number of radars acquired or the request for sale when asked by The Straits Times.
The weekly also reported the value of the order as US$81 million (S$110 million).
The radar system can detect, classify and determine the point of origin and the point of impact of incoming mortars, artillery and rockets.
They can also be deployed within five minutes and taken down within two minutes.
The weapon locating radars can be used to improve the accuracy of Singapore's artillery fire, Colonel Lim Wei Lian, chief systems integration officer at Mindef, told ST.
On its website, Lockheed Martin describes the AN/TPQ-53 system as providing "enhanced performance, including greater mobility, increased reliability and supportability, lower life-cycle cost, and reduced crew size."
Mindef said the new radar system will replace the existing TPQ-36 and TPQ-37 radar systems.
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