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EL/M-2080 Green Pine

From Alfawiki
Elta Systems
Company typeDivision
IndustryDefense, Aerospace
Founded1992; 34 years ago (1992)
FounderIsrael Aerospace Industries
Headquarters
Israel
ProductsEL/M-2080 Green Pine radar system
ParentIsrael Aerospace Industries

The EL/M-2080 Green Pine (, ) is an Israeli ground-based missile defense radar system developed by Elta Systems, a division of Israel Aerospace Industries. Its primary role is to support the Arrow theater missile defense system, a joint venture funded and developed in partnership with the United States. This radar has been exported to countries including India, with the advanced Green Pine Block-B version supplied to South Korea at an estimated cost of $83 million per unit, as well as to Azerbaijan. Both Green Pine and Block-B radars are operated by the Israeli Air Defense Command as essential elements of the Arrow defense infrastructure.

History

The Arrow initiative was launched in reaction to the acquisition of long-range surface-to-surface missiles by Arab nations. In 1986, Israel and the United States formalized their collaboration through a memorandum of understanding to jointly finance the project. By 1988, Israel Aircraft Industries (now Israel Aerospace Industries) received an order from the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) for the Arrow 1 technology demonstrator. The program progressed under SDIO’s successors: first the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), then the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

The 1991 Gulf War revealed shortcomings in existing missile defense systems such as the Patriot missile, accelerating efforts to develop Arrow. Initially aimed at intercepting missiles like the SS-1 "Scud," SS-21 "Scarab," and CSS-2, Arrow was also designed to counter more advanced threats from nations including Iran.

In 1992, Elta Systems was awarded the contract to design and produce the EL/M-2080 Green Pine radar, which is based on Elta’s Music phased array radar technology. The radar was first revealed in 1994, introduced in 1995, and became operational by November 1998. Since its deployment, it has played a critical role in numerous Arrow system test exercises.

Operational testing demonstrated Green Pine’s effectiveness when it detected and tracked Syrian Scud-D missile launches in 2000, 2005, and 2008, monitoring flight paths up to about 700 km.

On July 29, 2004, a joint Israeli-American test was conducted at Naval Air Station Point Mugu in California. The test involved a full Arrow battery setup including Green Pine radar and command-and-control units. During this exercise, an Arrow interceptor successfully destroyed a live Scud-B missile traveling roughly 300 km at an altitude of 40 km. This event marked the first successful interception of an actual Scud missile and was a significant milestone validating the system’s operational capabilities.

By 2012, Green Pine had proven its reliability with more than 20 successful ballistic missile intercepts during testing phases.

Specifications

In contrast to the older AN/MPQ-53 Passive Electronically Scanned Array (PESA) radar used in the MIM-104 Patriot PAC-2 system, Green Pine utilizes an active electronically scanned array (AESA) solid-state design. While the more advanced AN/TPY-2 X-band radar employed by the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense operates at higher frequencies, Green Pine functions within the L band frequency range (500–2,000 MHz).

The radar performs multiple tasks simultaneously including search, detection, tracking, and missile guidance,[1][2] capable of detecting targets at distances up to approximately , while tracking over 30 targets moving at speeds exceeding .[1][3] It effectively distinguishes genuine targets from clutter and countermeasures,[4] illuminates actual threats, and provides missile guidance with accuracy within .[1][5]

With its effective radiated power (ERP), the radar has potential applications as a directed-energy weapon, capable of focusing energy pulses on incoming missiles to disrupt their guidance or damage onboard electronics.[6]

The complete system features a trailer-mounted rotatable antenna array measuring wide by high,[1][7] along with power supply and cooling units, plus a control center.[1] The power subsystem includes both no-break and transformer containers; the no-break unit houses a diesel generator, inductive clutch control module, and fuel tank, while the transformer container contains transformers, a service generator, power inverter, and switching equipment.[2] Cooling is managed through redundant cascade cooling machines equipped with an integrated coolant reservoir and control panels.[2] The radar comprises between 2,000 and 2,300 transmit–receive modules and weighs approximately .[8][9] Although transportable to prepared locations, it is not designed for rapid mobility across arbitrary sites.[8] Relocation to a new operational position reportedly requires less than 24 hours.[10]

Green Pine Block-B

The EL/M-2080S Super Green Pine, frequently referred to as Green Pine Block-B or Great Pine (, ), is a sophisticated radar model that supersedes the initial Green Pine system. This upgraded version incorporates smaller yet more potent transmit–receive modules, significantly boosting performance by approximately doubling the power output and enhancing the detection range to nearly . In October 2010, the Israeli Defense Forces integrated a new Arrow 2 missile battery outfitted with the Green Pine Block-B radar.

Green Pine Block-C

The Green Pine Block-C variant was introduced to the public in November 2018.

Users

Azerbaijan's acquisition of one Green Pine radar was part of a 2011 arms agreement with Israel.
Israel has deployed no fewer than two Green Pine radars within its Arrow missile defense framework. By 2008, an unspecified quantity of both the original Green Pine and the Block-B versions were operational. The first Green Pine Block-B radar was commissioned in 2012 alongside the two earlier Green Pine units.
India had procured and operationalized two Green Pine radars by July 2002, followed by a third unit in August 2005. The Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation developed the Swordfish Long Range Tracking Radar, which is based on the Green Pine design. Although India has pursued acquisition of the full Arrow missile system since 1999, U.S. objections related to Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) restrictions prevented the sale of Arrow 2 missiles to India in 2002.
South Korea acquired two Green Pine Block-B radars, operational from 2012 onward, and has plans to obtain two additional Green Pine Block-C radars with an estimated contract value near $292 million. Delivery of these units is expected in the early 2020s.

See also

Bibliography

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named armytec
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named gpj
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named aw-2012-a3
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named deagel
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named gpj2
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named dew
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Bar-Joseph
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Egozi2
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named janes2300
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named video2
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