Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR)

Quick Facts

Role and Mobility	Ship Self-Defense, Situational Awareness, Air Traffic Control; Ship-mobile
Frequency	N/A
Range	N/A
Air Defense Interceptor Systems	N/A
Targets	Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles, Drones, Fixed-Wing Aircraft, and Helicopters
Status/Exports	In production; None
Producer	Raytheon Systems

Overview

The Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar or EASR is the US Navy’s next generation radar for aircraft carriers and amphibious warfare ships. It will provide simultaneous anti-air and anti-surface warfare, electronic protection, and air traffic control capabilities.[i] EASR is built on Radar Modular Assembly (RMA) technology. Each RMA is a self-contained radar in a ‘2x2x2’ box that can integrate with each other to create radar arrays of various sizes depending on current needs.[ii]

Two variants of EASR will be provided:

Variant 1 – a single face, rotating radar

Upgraded capability replacing AN/SPS-48 and -49 air search radars
Primary sensor for ship self-defense and situational awareness
Designated radar for LHA-8 and LX(R)

Variant 2 – Three face, fixed array radar

Upgraded capability replacing AN/Spy-4 Volume Search Radar
Primary sensor for ship self-defense, situational awareness and air traffic control
Designated radar for CVN 78 Ford-class carriers, starting with CVN 79[iii]

EASR is meant to be the replacement for the Volume Search Radar for the CVN 78 class and the AN/SPS-48 and AN/SPS-49 radar systems for numerous other ship classes.[iv]

Strategic Implications

Strategically, EASR is a valuable radar because it is 20% smaller than the radars it is replacing, but just as capable and sensitive to incoming threats. Its smaller size frees up space on a ship or aircraft carrier for other necessities.[v] Beyond that, EASR is capable of operating in high clutter, near-land, and in electromagnetic interference environments. These capabilities make it a valuable radar in areas with a high chance of interference. Its built-in cyber resiliency also offers protection against the possibility of cyber-attacks during operations.