Many of today’s military and commercial radar systems were first installed in the 1960s and 1970s. Though maintained and periodically upgraded, the vacuum tube based parts of the systems continue to suffer from low efficiency, frequent downtime, and high maintenance. Their relatively short lifetimes constitute a significant operational expense. A transmitter upgrade using DTI’s modern, solid-state technology can be a cost-effective remedy to these problems.

The AN/SPQ-9A is a high resolution, narrow beam X-band radar designed for air surveillance and early warning against hostile aircraft and sea-skimming, anti-ship missiles. Systems have been operational in the U.S. Navy fleet since 1975. After nearly thirty years of service, parts obsolescence, decreasing reliability, and increasing maintenance costs, mandated an upgrade to the radar’s transmitter. DTI's reliable, high power solid-state switches offered the Navy the opportunity to replace the transmitter's outdated components and greatly extend the life of the radar system.

Under contract with the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Port Hueneme Division (PHDNSWC), DTI is building sixteen fully MIL-Qualified AN/SPQ-9A modulator upgrade kits for on-board installation. The kit includes high voltage power supply, storage capacitor, filament supply, and solid-state modulator. The upgrade replaces the original mod-anode modulation scheme with solid-state cathode modulation / tube protection. Click here to download a PDF Product Brief on this upgrade.

A kit for the Naval Surface Warfare Center's AN/SPG-60 transmitter incorporates DTI's solid-state switch module and switching power supply. The compact 13 kV, 20 A klystron pulsed modulator delivers up to 35 kHz PRF at 0.8 - 8 ms pulse widths. Fifteen radars have been retrofitted, each gaining thousands of hours of reliability. Click here to download a PDF file that describes this upgrade in more detail.

AN/SPQ-9A Modulator Assembly.

AN/SPG-60 with DTI Upgrade in Lower Cabinet.