AN/SPS-55

AN/SPS-55
AN/SPS-55 antenna on USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58)
Country of originUnited States
Introduced1971
TypeSurface-search
FrequencyI band (9.05 to 10.0 GHz)
Rangegreater than 50 nautical miles (92.6 km)[1]
Azimuth1.5º
Elevation-10° to +10°, centered on the horizon
Power130-160 kW peak power

The AN/SPS-55 is a solid state surface search and navigation radar. It was developed by Cardion Electronics for the U.S. Navy under a contract awarded in 1971. It was originally developed for a class of ships known as Patrol Frigates, but it was also installed on numerous Cruisers, Destroyers, and Minesweepers. It is an I band radar and its antenna consists of two waveguide slotted arrays mounted back-to-back. One array provides linear polarisation and the other provides circular polarisation. Polarisation is user selectable and the circular polarised array is more effective in reducing returns from precipitation.[2]