US Pursues Agile Forward-Based Radar Next to Harden Missile Defense

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is seeking innovative, mobile prototypes for a Forward-Based Mode (FBM) Radar Next to replace or augment the current AN/TPY-2. The goal is a highly deployable, open-architecture, modular radar that can be rapidly set up in austere forward locations and integrated with the C2BMC system, improving survivability against missiles and drones amid a broader threat landscape that includes space-enabled targeting. The effort, conducted through an OTA prototyping approach, aligns with a 2027 budget push for next-generation radar prototypes and contemplates either a single integrated aperture or multiple distributed arrays, while remaining part of the THAAD/PATRIOT ecosystem.