U.S. Marine Corps has released several photos of a routine check up on an AN/TPS-59 radar system on Cannon Air Defense Complex at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

The AN/TPS-59 Radar is a Marine Corps’ only long-range, 3D, air-surveillance, theater ballistic missile (TBM)-capable radar.

According to open sources, the AN/TPS- 59 is a transportable, solid-state L-band radar that serves as the Marine Air-Ground Task Force’s (MAGTF) principal air surveillance radar and is integrated into the AN/TSQ-263 Common Aviation Command and Control System (CAC2S) and the AN/MSQ-143(V)1 Composite Tracking Network (CTN). The radar uses active beam steering in elevation and mechanical steering in azimuth.

The 3D radar system is optimized to detect and track air-breathing targets and TBMs that constitute serious threats to MAGTF operations. The radar is employed by the Marine Air Control Squadron (MACS) during sustained operations ashore and is part of the joint theater air and missile defense architecture.

The radar supports the MAGTF commander in anti-air warfare operations and control of aircraft and missiles to a distance of 300 nautical miles for ABTs and TBM surveillance to 400 nautical miles.

The radar system is currently deployed in direct support of MAGTF operations.

The AN/TPS-59 is used by the United States Marine Corps, Egypt, and Bahrain.