Ehmke’s TPY-4 Antenna Array Travel Cover

Customer Profile

Lockheed Martin Corporation – RMS (LMCO) is a global security company that specializes in the research, customized design and development, manufacturing and integration of advanced technology specifically in sensing and electronic warfare capabilities. LMCO products are integral in early warning and threat detection, target tracking and situational awareness.

The Air Force (USAF) Command operates the AN/TPY-4 radar, a next-generation ground-based air surveillance radar designed to give military forces long-range detection, tracking, and identification of airborne threats. The sophisticated mobile array system is often transported into a harsh contested environment to execute its mission.

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Challenge

To ensure operational availability, the USAF must ensure the TPY-4 is protected from all environmental conditions that may affect its readiness. The vehicle that transports the array often travels over harsh and contested terrain subjected to dust, dirt, vibration, rain, sleet, hail and windy conditions. Any damage to the array’s sensors, technology or hardware minimizes its effectiveness putting US military assets and personnel at risk.

The cost of Foreign Object Debris (FOD) damage to the array can run into millions of dollars.

LMCO called on our company as a sole-source solution to provide the engineering, fabrication and installation of an original protection system to cover all horizontal surfaces from over-the-road impact and environmental threats to the TPY-4 Antenna Array. Our customer required an engineered solution that needed to perform under extreme temperatures, be highly abrasion proof, and be constructed to deflect any environmental threat.

Solution

The TPY-4 Antenna Array Travel Cover must be quickly deployable, extreme temperature resistant, portable, easily storable, and consistently withstand road FOD debris. The criteria required waterproof, weather resistant fabric, cushioning, webbing, fastener tape and hardware that is resilient to extreme conditions. The fabric could not tear on the antenna or damage any of the sensitive sensors. All hardware needed to be recessed and protected so not to contact the array face. Universal cutouts and contours are required to accommodate the numerous antennas, access doors, and complex angles of the array. The proprietary multi-layer solution required extensive testing.

Ehmke’s unique “AWAY TEAM” concept provided engineering support to the Customer to help tailor a customized solution.

 

Results

Our company delivered a successful solution on-time and under budget. Our “Away Team” spent two on site visits to tailor and custom fit multi-layer panels to the unique external features and geometry of the array. The successful completion of the project has led to a production contract to outfit the inventory of the TPY-4 Antenna Arrays.

References

Project Manager: Greg Nichols – Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc

Engineering: Daniel Nguyen – Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Manufacturing Engineer(s): Glenn Aust – Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

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