US approves sale of AN/TPS-78 radar to Egypt for $304 million

The US Department of State has approved the sale of the AN/TPS-78 long-range radar manufactured by Northrop Grumman to Egypt for $304 million.

Here's What We Know

Cairo has requested an unspecified number of these radars, as well as related equipment, including KIV-78 cryptographic devices, GPS devices with selective accessibility modules to protect against counterfeiting, spare parts and repair kits.

The Pentagon's Defence Cooperation Agency said the sale will help improve Egypt's defence capabilities, including its ability to detect various airborne threats. The main contractor is Northrop Grumman.

The AN/TPS-78 is an S-band airborne surveillance radar system that includes an advanced small drone and maritime target surveillance subsystem. It provides automatic detection and tracking of objects.

The radar is capable of tracking air and sea moving targets within a radius of 240 nautical miles (444 km). Data updates every 10 and 5 seconds allow it to be used for both ground control and long-range air surveillance, including tracking tactical ballistic missiles.

The system is highly mobile and can be transported by C-130 aircraft, helicopters, trucks and trains. The approval of the sale came a month after Egypt received permission to purchase more than $5 billion worth of US military equipment.

In particular, the deal included the sale of equipment for 555 M1A1 Abrams tanks for $4.69bn and more than 2,000 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles for $630m.

Source: The Defence Post