Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR)

The Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) program, managed by the Missile Defense Agency, aims to enhance the United States' missile defense capabilities. Its primary objective is to provide persistent long-range midcourse discrimination, precision tracking, and hit assessment as part of the Homeland Defense Capability within the Missile Defense System. Operating in the S-band frequency, this radar features a scalable and open systems architecture designed to address evolving threats. It integrates into the broader Missile Defense System through the Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) system.

In addition to its primary goals, the LRDR program supports Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Space Object Identification (SOI) missions. Efforts include designing, developing, integrating, delivering, fielding, and sustaining the radar system. The initial fielding was completed in December 2021 at Clear Space Force Station in Alaska. An incremental fielding approach is being utilized in collaboration with Northern Command, Space Command, and the United States Space Force (USSF), with early use fielding of SDA capabilities planned for early FY 2024.

The program seeks to improve threat discrimination capabilities within the Missile Defense System. This involves enhancements to handle increased raid scenarios and advanced discrimination techniques in denied environments. Integration with remote operations via C2BMC is also a focus. Future increments will introduce software upgrades to expand discrimination capabilities against a broader spectrum of threats, including hypersonic missiles. These upgrades are scheduled for operational fielding in FY 2026 and FY 2028 as part of Increments 6C/7 and 10 respectively.

Program Wide Support (PWS) underpins these efforts by providing non-headquarters management functions that support MDA activities across the entire Missile Defense System. This includes services such as logistics management, operations support, facility maintenance, and compliance with statutory requirements. PWS ensures that necessary infrastructure and personnel are available to support global deployments and maintain operational readiness across various MDA locations worldwide.