AN/SPS-48

AN/SPS-48
AN/SPS-48E large square radar antenna
aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).
Country of originUnited States
ManufacturerL3Harris Technologies
Introduced21 February 1966 (1966-02-21)
Type3D air-search
Frequency2–4 GHz
(15.0–7.5 cm)
S-band
RPM7.5 or 15 rpm
Range250 nautical miles (290 mi; 460 km)
Altitude100,000 feet (30,000 m)
Diameter17 feet (5.2 m) by
17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m)
Azimuth0-360°
Elevation0-65°
Precision690 feet (210 m) elevation
1/6° azimuth
Power35 kW average

The AN/SPS-48 is a US naval electronically scanned array air search 3D radar system manufactured by L3Harris Technologies and deployed in the 1960s as the primary air search sensor for anti-aircraft warships. The deployment of the AN/SPY-1 and the end of the Cold War led to the decommissioning of many such ships, and many of these vessel's AN/SPS-48 sets were reused on aircraft carriers and amphibious ships where it is used to direct targets for air defense systems such as the Sea Sparrow and RIM-116 SAM missiles. Existing sets are being modernized under the ROAR program to AN/SPS-48G standard for better reliability and usability.

In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the "AN/SPS-48" designation represents the 48th design of an Army-Navy electronic device for surface ship search radar system. The JETDS system also now is used to name all Department of Defense electronic systems.