computer science

Long Range Discrimination Radar

Long Range Discrimination Radar is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Long Range Discrimination Radar rather than just read about it. In short: The Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) in Alaska is part of the United States's Ground-Based Midcourse Defense anti-ballistic missile system. The main contractor is Lockheed Martin, under a US$784 million contract from the Missile Defense Agency in October 2015.

Key takeaways

Long Range Discrimination Radar belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Long Range Discrimination Radar to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Long Range Discrimination Radar from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) in Alaska is part of the United States's Ground-Based Midcourse Defense anti-ballistic missile system. The main contractor is Lockheed Martin, under a US$784 million contract from the Missile Defense Agency in October 2015. LRDR is a gallium nitride (GaN)–based, solid-state active electronically scanned array (AESA) early-warning radar that allows for continuous coverage, even when it is undergoing maintenance. The radar consists of individual solid state radar blocks that can be combined to scale up the size of the radar. The multi-purpose GaN device used on the prototype version of the LRDR is from the Japanese electronics company Fujitsu, according to Lockheed Martin. Construction in Alaska for the LRDR was scheduled to begin in 2019, tentatively at Clear Space Force Station in central Alaska. Each AESA's dimensions are 60 feet (18 m) high by 60 feet (18 m) wide; the field of view is 220 degrees. In late February 2021, the Missile Defense Agency said that the radar installation was underway, with Initial Operational Capability to be achieved in 2021. Testing for Full Operational Capability is expected by 2023. In mid-August 2023, the Flight Test Other-26 (FTX-26) was canceled due to an anomaly with the live ballistic missile target. When operational, the LRDR will be tied into the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system and the Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications system. The LRDR may become part of Golden Dome.

Variants

AN/SPY-7(V)1 The AN/SPY-7(V)1 is the official designation of an LRDR-derivative used with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. On 30 July 2018, the Japanese government approved a plan to purchase two pairs of AN/SPY-7(V)1 for the Aegis Ashore facility and will be installed in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Akita Prefecture. The first operation is expected to start from 2025, by Japan Ground Self Defense Force. Missile Defense Agency has also decided to use AN/SPY-7(V)1 for the Aegis Ashore to be installed in Hawaii. Derivatives of the AN/SPY-7(V)1 will be used on the Canadian River-class destroyer and the Spanish F-110 frigate. Lockheed Martin promoted this version of radar as the AN/SPY-1 refurbishment program to the US Navy to extend the lifespan of the Ticonderoga-class cruiser and Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to beyond the 2040s. In December 2021, the AN/SPY-6 AESA radar from Raytheon was selected to retrofit Flight IIA Arleigh Burke destroyers; the same radar is used on Flight III ships.

AN/SPY-7(V)2 The AN/SPY-7(V)2 is the official designation of an LRDR-derivative used by the F110-class frigates for the Spanish Navy.

AN/SPY-7(V)3 The AN/SPY-7(V)3 is the official designation of an LRDR-derivative used by the future River-class destroyers for the Royal Canadian Navy. In September 2020, the AN/SPY-7 was chosen by the Canadian government as the primary radar for the River-class destroyer, and received the official AN/SPY-7(V)3 designation in June 2022.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Long Range Discrimination Radar

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Long Range Discrimination Radar claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Long Range Discrimination Radar before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Long Range Discrimination Radar ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Long Range Discrimination Radar

In research: Long Range Discrimination Radar appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Long Range Discrimination Radar in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Long Range Discrimination Radar is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Early warning systems, Equipment of the United States Space Force, Military electronics of the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Long Range Discrimination Radar outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Long Range Discrimination Radar in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Long Range Discrimination Radar means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Long Range Discrimination Radar out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Long Range Discrimination Radar in simple terms?

Why does Long Range Discrimination Radar matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Long Range Discrimination Radar?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Long Range Discrimination Radar.