AN/FPS-19

{{Infobox radar

| name = AN/FPS-19

| image = File:Former DEW Line Radar station.jpg

| caption = The FPS-19's radome dominates this image of the POW-2 DEW station.

| country = US

| manufacturer= Raytheon

| introdate = 1953

| number = ~35

| type = early warning

| frequency = L-band, 1220 to 1350 MHz

| PRF = 400 pps

| beamwidth =

| pulsewidth = 6 μs

| RPM =

| range = {{convert|160|mi|abbr=on}}

| altitude =

| diameter = {{convert|75|ft|abbr=on}}

| azimuth = 360º

| elevation =

| precision =

| power = 500 kW x 2

| other names =

}}

{{More citations needed|date= June 2025}}

The AN/FPS-19 was a long-range search radar developed for the NORAD Distant Early Warning Line (DEW Line) by Raytheon. It was an L-band system working between 1220 and 1350 MHz produced by a 500 kW magnetron. Two such systems were placed back-to-back, one with an antenna that produced a narrow beam to improve range for long-range detection, and the second with a wider fan-shaped beam to cover higher angles at shorter ranges. The former could detect bomber-sized targets to about {{convert|160|mi}} and the latter covered up to {{cvt|65,000|ft|m}} altitude.

The system was developed from the AN/TPS-1, which dated to the late World War II era. Raytheon adapted it to the long-range role by designing much larger antenna systems and other modifications. The first examples were activated in 1957, along with the AN/FPS-23 radars that provided low-altitude coverage between the stations. The AN/FPS-23 was removed in 1963, and the FPS-19 was scheduled to be replaced by the somewhat more powerful AN/FPS-30. The declining role of bomber defense in the era of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) meant these upgrades were not carried out. The FPS-19 remained in service until the late 1980s when they were replaced by the AN/FPS-117 as part of the newly named North Warning System.

The UK equivalent was the AMES Type 80, a significantly more powerful radar that formed the basis of their post-ROTOR network.

In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the "AN/FPS-18" designation represents the 18th design of an Army-Navy electronic device for fixed ground search radar.{{cite book|last=Winkler|first=David F.|title=Searching the Skies: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program|chapter=Radar Systems Classification Methods|page=73|publisher=United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command|location=Langley AFB, Virginia|year=1997|lccn=97020912|url=https://nuke.fas.org/guide/usa/airdef/1997-06-01955.pdf}} {{source-attribution}}{{cite book|author=Avionics Department|title=Electronic Warfare and Radar Systems Engineering Handbook|edition=4|chapter=Missile and Electronic Equipment Designations|pages=2–8.1|publisher=Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division|location=Point Mugu, California|year=2013|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA617071.pdf}}

See also

References

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