AN/AWG-9

Description

The AN/AWG-9 is an American full-digital multi-mode radar with TWS, BVR and ACM capabilities.

Vehicles equipped with this radar

• F-14A Early

General info / usage

The AN/AWG-9 is a target detection and tracking radar (multi-mode). It is a phased array radar. It has four search modes: Track-While-Scan HDN, Pulse Doppler HDN Search, Search and Pulse Doppler Velocity HDN Search. Track-While-Scan HDN is a special variant of the Pulse Doppler Search mode, with the ability to track an enemy while scanning the battlefield.

The radar can lock on to and track a target out to a maximum range of 185 km.

Features
Band	Pulse mode	PD mode	MTI mode	IRST mode	TWS mode	SARH
I

Search characteristics
Mode	Max range	Effective range	Display ranges	IFF
SRC SRC PD HDN TWS HDN	203 km		10 km, 19 km, 37 km, 93 km, 185 km, 370 km	✓
SRC PDV HDN			-1,476 km/h - 7,380 km/h	✓
ACM ACM PD HDN	9 km		9 km	X

Search modes
Mode	Scan type	Azimuth	Elevation	Period
SRC SRC PD HDN SRC PDV HDN	One-way raster	±40°	±3°	4 s
	One-way raster	±10°	±2°	0.5 s
	One-way raster	±65°	±3°	6.5 s
TWS HDN	One-way raster	±40°	±2°	2 s
	One-way raster	±20°	±3°	2 s
ACM ACM PD HDN	Cone	±2.5°	±2.5°	0.5 s
	Two-way raster	±2.5°	-15°/+25°	0.5 s
	Two-way raster	±2.5°	+15°/+55°	0.5 s

Tracking characteristics
Mode	Max range	Azimuth limit	Elevation limit
TRK TRK PD HDN	185 km	±65°	-75°/+55°

Comparison with analogues

Give a comparative description of similar or related radars.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great range
• Can track targets
• Track While Scan mode
• ACM mode
• Fast scanning speed
• Pulse-Doppler radar
• Has IFF
• Can switch between SRC PD and SRC when a target is locked

Cons:

• Doesn't have All-aspect look down ability
• ACM mode only has a range of 9 km (5.59 mi)

History

The AN/AWG-9 radar is a long-range, all-weather radar system developed in the 1960s for the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet. It was developed by Hughes Aircraft and Westinghouse Electric as part of a joint project for the United States Navy.

The AN/AWG-9 radar system was designed to be a powerful radar that could track multiple targets at long ranges. It utilized a pulse-doppler radar system that allowed it to detect and track targets at long distances, even in adverse weather conditions. The system was also equipped with a look-down/shoot-down capability, which enabled it to detect low-flying targets, such as enemy aircraft or cruise missiles, against the clutter of the ground.

The AN/AWG-9 radar was capable of tracking up to 24 targets simultaneously and engaging up to six of them with its AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. The missile had an operational range of up to 100 miles and would first be guided by the radar system close to the target, then the onboard radar would start to track the enemy target.

During the Gulf War, the AN/AWG-9 radar played a critical role in the F-14's combat performance. The F-14 Tomcat was the only aircraft in the US military that was equipped with the AN/AWG-9 radar, and it was used to engage Iraqi aircraft at long ranges. The radar's long-range capabilities and the Phoenix missile's accuracy and range gave the F-14 a significant advantage over its opponents.

The AN/AWG-9 radar remained in service until the retirement of the F-14 from the US Navy in 2006. It also served with the Iranian Air Force, which acquired F-14s in the 1970s. The AN/AWG-9 was used in air-to-air combat during the Iran-Iraq War, where it proved to be a formidable weapon system.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to articles about variants of the radar;
• references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

• Track-While-Scan Concepts