Northrop Grumman boosts capabilities of G/ATOR with software update

Northrop Grumman has enabled new, extended-range capabilities with its AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) through a software update, the company announced on 9 December 2025.

In addition to a new extended-range mode, the update refines G/ATOR’s identification friend or foe (IFF) system and enhances interoperability. These improvements enable the radar to better categorise detected threats and share intelligence with friendly assets through an open-architecture command-and-control connection.

All currently deployed G/ATOR systems have received the update.

“G/ATOR’s extended range and improved identification systems provide US and allied forces with a crucial tactical advantage,” Bob Gough, vice president for maritime and land systems and sensors at Northrop Grumman, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Our radar system is designed to perform in the most complex air defence environments – detecting, tracking and targeting threats in real time.”

G/ATOR is a highly mobile, long-range active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that operates in the S-band frequency range. The system provides long-range, four-dimensional, 360° surveillance for air and missile defence, fire control and air traffic control. It can track a wide range of airborne threats, including cruise missiles, hypersonic missiles, crewed aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Currently, 39 G/ATOR radars have been delivered to the US Marine Corps and US Air Force, with the 40th delivery anticipated by the end of this year.