BALTIMORE 29 June 2008. The U.S. Marine Corps' new Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) moved closer to production with the successful conclusion of the program's formal Preliminary Design Review (PDR) at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Electronic Systems sector headquarters in Baltimore.

The mobile G/ATOR system supports the Marine Corps' expeditionary warfare requirements. The radar system will provide enhanced capabilities to detect, track, and provide target quality data to engage hostile aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned air vehicles.

The data will include the location of hostile rockets, mortars, and artillery. Intended as a replacement for five existing Marine Corps radars, G/ATOR will provide air traffic control capabilities as well.

"You have approval to proceed to critical design," said John Burrow, Marine Corps Systems Command Deputy Commander for Systems Engineering, Integration, Architectures, and Technology at the conclusion of the review.

The PDR consisted of a government review and subsequent approval of the G/ATOR system and subsystem design for hardware and software including a program management review of cost and schedule. The PDR was attended by more than 70 Marine Corps, Navy, Army, and other Department of Defense officials and civilian subject matter experts.

"The G/ATOR program continues to be characterized by outstanding communication and teamwork at all levels and is making tremendous progress," says Emmitt E. Gibson, vice president of Ground Based Tactical Radars at Northrop Grumman's Land Forces division.

Northrop Grumman is the G/ATOR prime contractor under a $256 million contract awarded by Marine Corps Systems Command. Key team members include Sensis Corp. in Syracuse, N.Y.; CEA Technologies, Inc. in Canberra, Australia; Stanley/Techrizon in Lawton, Okla.; and Caterpillar Logistics in Morton, Ill.