I have been wondering about Radar. The Gepard has an S-band radar and so does SkyRanger 30. I am a bit confused by this, since I would have expected X-band, especially for picking up small drones.

If I think of the 40mm CTA turret that I postulated, adding a Giraffe 1X sounds immensely possible.

There are two radars on Flakpanzer Gepard -- a search set (S-band) and a fire control set (Ku band, adjacent to X-band.) 

SkyRanger is similar. There is an S-band radar for search.  The default for fire control tracking is electro-optical, but X-band radar is an option.

yeah, I was thinking the search radar

Well, X band isn't great for search, so using a combo makes sense.  You do see some more recent SPAAGs with a bunch of X-band sets scattered around them (the US M-SHORAD, for example) but those are almost certainly relying on networked search sensors for cueing and using X-band for close-in target acquisition and tracking.  

taschoene said:

Well, X band isn't great for search, so using a combo makes sense.  You do see some more recent SPAAGs with a bunch of X-band sets scattered around them (the US M-SHORAD, for example) but those are almost certainly relying on networked search sensors for cueing and using X-band for close-in target acquisition and tracking.  

Hmm, I am still thinking of Giraffe 1X - which seems to be doing OK for search. It would be a good radar for ground forces to standardise on, since it is also good for counter battery.

A classic combination (for the practical array sizes of an SPAA) is S band for search (less attenuated by weather) and something like Ku band for engagement (higher resolution to track target and own projectiles) 

X band is in between.  If we want our SPAA to do C-DRAM and CBR roles, the X band's higher resolution over S band would be advantageous in the search role to track the smaller targets like incoming projectiles.  It would also be able to provide mid course guidance for the missiles, so your engagement radar really only needs to work the guns. 

I would choose a two face rotating 3D X-Band GaN AESA array for the search radar, and Ku Band for the engagement radar, plus an EO suite.  Also an APS is still desirable for ATGM and drone protection, and that'll have MMW and a staring EO suite as part of the MAWS

Refleks said:

I would choose a two face rotating 3D X-Band GaN AESA array for the search radar, and Ku Band for the engagement radar, plus an EO suite.  Also an APS is still desirable for ATGM and drone protection, and that'll have MMW and a staring EO suite as part of the MAWS

Are there any modern Ku band radars? And sorry - Abbreviation explanations? MMW and MAWS?

Also wondering: My support platoon would have 1-2 SPAAG and 1-3 AMOS. would 1-2 detached search radars that both provide air search and fire finding not be more useful?

MMW is millimeter wave radar, higher resolution than Ku and used in active protection systems for ATGMs (would also work well against really small drones) but also more weather related attenuation 

MAWS is missile approach warning system, which might use a variety of sensors from MMW radar, and multi spectral EO, typically several around the vehicle in fixed mounts for continuous  360 coverage

I was talking more of a Gepard / Tunguska setup where dual radars are common on one vehicle, but you could of course offload the search radar to another platform to cue the SPAA and feed CBR data to the AMOS

Refleks said:

MMW is millimeter wave radar, higher resolution than Ku and used in active protection systems for ATGMs (would also work well against really small drones) but also more weather related attenuation 

Do we then still need the Ku band radar if we have EO and MMW? SkyRanger doesn't seem to think so