Bendix AN/FPS-3 Radar

The Bendix AN/FPS-3 Radar was an early Cold War radar used by the United States Air Force Air Defense Command. The AN/FPS-3 was a fixed variant of the AN/CPS-5.


 * AN/CPS-5: The AN/CPS-5 was a long-range search radar developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and General Electric which GE began producing in January 1945. The transportable medium-range search radar was used in the Lashup Radar Network in conjunction with the AN/TPS-10 height-finder radar and could be operated with a crew of ten. Some AN/CPS-5s were used in the first permanent network and could provide a solid search of up to 60 miles at 40,000 feet (tracks were successful to 210 miles).

The first AN/FPS-3 units came off the Bendix production line in late 1950, and 48 of the L-band units were used in the first permanent network. The AN/FPS-3B incorporated an AN/GPA-27, which increased the search altitude to 65,000 feet. Installation of these modifications began in 1957. The AN/MPS-7 was a mobile version of the AN/FPS-3.