U.S. Lockheed Martin delivers 500th Q-53 radar enhancing U.S. Army counterfire and air defense.

According to information published by Lockheed Martin on August 7, 2025, the company’s Radar Center of Excellence has officially delivered its 500th ground-based radar system, a highly advanced AN/TPQ-53 (Q-53) radar. This milestone underscores Lockheed Martin’s sustained role as a key provider of battlefield-proven sensor technology for the U.S. Army and allied nations. Rick Cordaro, Vice President of Radar and Sensor Systems at Lockheed Martin, emphasized that the Q-53’s production legacy reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to transforming how modern militaries detect, track, and counter emerging aerial and indirect fire threats in increasingly complex operational environments.
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The AN/TPQ-53 is a mobile radar system that quickly detects and tracks incoming rockets, artillery, and mortars to help troops respond faster and stay protected (Picture source : Lockheed Martin).

Technically, the AN/TPQ-53 is a solid-state, fully digitized active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar operating in the S-band frequency spectrum. Designed to detect, classify, and track incoming rocket, artillery, and mortar (RAM) threats, the Q-53 provides 360-degree coverage through software-controlled beam steering, eliminating the need for mechanical rotation. The system boasts a modular, scalable radar architecture built on Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology, which increases power efficiency, enhances system cooling, and improves overall reliability compared to older Gallium Arsenide-based systems. With its maximum detection range extending up to 60 kilometers in full-sector mode and its ability to simultaneously track multiple threat trajectories, the Q-53 delivers precision fire location data in real time. It is fully integrated with the U.S. Army’s command and control networks and can operate in stand-alone or networked configurations, supporting multiple missions including counter-fire targeting, air surveillance, and even limited air defense functions.

From an operational standpoint, the Q-53 offers significant advantages in modern high-tempo warfare. Mounted on a 5-ton Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) and supported by a mission-essential trailer, the system is designed for rapid deployment and recovery, with setup and teardown times of under 20 minutes by a minimal crew. Its compact design and transportability by C-130 aircraft make it ideal for expeditionary operations and forward-deployed units. In the field, the Q-53 serves as both an early warning system and an enabler of precision fires. It can track the point of origin and point of impact of hostile projectiles, allowing friendly artillery to rapidly engage and neutralize enemy firing positions. The radar’s multi-mission software capability also enables commanders to seamlessly shift between counter-battery operations and air surveillance tasks, providing a layered defense capability against both conventional and unconventional aerial threats, including UAVs. Its advanced signal processing algorithms and clutter rejection features make it effective even in complex electromagnetic environments and dense urban terrain.

In the global radar market, the Q-53 is often compared to its European counterpart, the Thales Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission Radar (GM200 MM/A), which also offers 3D AESA radar capabilities and supports ground-based air defense missions. While the GM200 provides strong short- to medium-range air surveillance and target tracking, including the ability to detect and track small UAVs, cruise missiles, and RAM threats, it is fundamentally a general-purpose radar, optimized for flexibility rather than specialization. The Q-53, by contrast, is purpose-built for counter-fire operations and features superior detection algorithms and faster target acquisition cycles for incoming RAM threats. In terms of mobility, the Q-53’s U.S. Army-standardized platform and integration into existing tactical data links (including AFATDS and other command nodes) give it an operational edge in joint and coalition environments. Furthermore, Lockheed Martin’s extensive support infrastructure and track record of iterative upgrades, including software-defined enhancements and the integration of AI-driven threat recognition, place the Q-53 at the forefront of counter-battery radar evolution.

Lockheed Martin’s delivery of its 500th Q-53 radar not only represents a major industrial milestone but also reflects the strategic trust placed in this system by armed forces seeking fast, reliable, and adaptable battlefield sensing capabilities. As the threat landscape continues to evolve with the proliferation of low-cost rockets, long-range artillery, loitering munitions, and small UAVs, the AN/TPQ-53 remains a critical component in the architecture of modern air and missile defense. Lockheed Martin’s ongoing investment in radar modernization ensures that the Q-53 platform will remain relevant in both current and future high-threat environments, supporting force survivability, tactical overmatch, and multi-domain operational readiness.