(U) Ballistic Missile Early Warning Radar System (BMEWS) at Fylingdales

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)

Overview: (U)
(U)  The Flyingdales Ballistic Missile Early Warning Radar System (BMEWS) site is located at RAF Flyingdales Air Base, United Kingdom. The BMEWS system detects, tracks, and provides tactical warning and attack assessment (TW/AA) of ballistic missiles launched against the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. 

Description: (U)
(U)  The Flyingdales BMEWS radar is a 3-Faced Phased Array radar that began operations in 1953.  The BMEWS radar network became operational in the early1960s and has been significantly upgraded since.  The Flyingdales BMEWS reached a modernized Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 1QFY92.  

(U)  The BMEWS radar network consists of three radars located at Thule Air Force Base (AFB), Greenland; Clear, Alaska; and Royal Air Force (RAF) Fylingdales, UK .  The Thule BMEWS and the Fylingdales BMEWS are two and three faced phased array radars, respectively, while the Clear BMEWS site employs three detection and one tracking mechanical radar(s).  The Flyingdales three-faced BMEWS radar was modernized in 1QFY92.  A plan to upgrade Clear to a phased array radar, similar to the PAVE PAWS radars at Beale and Cape Cod, is currently funded during FY98-FY03.    

(U)  BMEWS radars operate in the UHF (420-450 MHz) frequency range.  The radars' missions are performed automatically under control of the mission software, which directs radar operation to detect, acquire, and track missile and satellite objects of interest.  The system also processes data to classify unknown, tracked objects.

User Impact: (U)
(U) The BMEWS system detects, tracks, and provides TW/AA of ballistic missiles launched against the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. 

Programmatics: (U)
(U) Operational.
	(U) Termination: 01/2010 (2QFY2010).
		(U)  The termination date for the BMEWS radars corresponds with the operation of the Long Range Dual Band Transportable Radar.

(U) Organizations and Funding:
	(U) Air Force.

Related Initiatives: (U)
(U) BMEWS

Related Requirements: (U)
(U) None.

Related Categories: (U)
(U) BMEWS, Collateral Sensors, Ground-Based Warning

Road Map Placements: (U)
(U) SPACE CONTROL: S.S. NETWORK, SURVEILLANCE AND WARNING.

Lead Office: (U)
(U) Air Force.

Date of Information: (U)
13 November 1997

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)