They operate in the Ultra High Frequency Band, which prevents them from being able to conduct discrimination but allows them to cover a wider area. They have large, fixed-orientation panels facing outward instead of the golf ball-like globes with a rotating radar panel inside like the Sea-based X-band Radar. 3 All of the radars are long-range solid-state phased array radars. Each panel of an Early Warning Radar has a 120-degree azimuth. The sites at Beale AFB and Thule each have two panel configurations while the radar at Fylingdales has a three panel configuration. UEWRs cannot perform midcourse discrimination, but can begin to classify objects as threatening or nonthreatening, narrowing the range of objects that a higher resolution radar, such as the Sea-based X-band Radar (SBX) would need to observe. In their missile defense role, UEWRs primarily perform target classification and missile tracking to cue other sensors and interceptors. UEWRs have an upgraded receiver exciter and frequency time standard. UEWRs are nearly identical to Early Warning Radars in technical capabilities, but contain certain software and hardware upgrades that allow the radars to communicate with the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. The Missile Defense Agency is also working to upgrade the Early Warning Radars in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Clear, Alaska. Currently, three UEWRs are deployed by the United States, located at Beale AFB in California, Fylingdales in the United Kingdom, and Thule AFB in Greenland. Upgraded Early Warning Radars (UEWR) provide detection, tracking, and classification data to the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).
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