The Sea-Based X-Band Radar being transported by ship

The radar can detect airborne ICBM warheads up to 2500 miles away.

Wikipedia

170 points · 14 comments · view on lemmy.world

14 Comments

Skasi@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 2y (2 replies)

The radar can detect airborne ICBM warheads up to 2500 miles away.

For reference, that's about 1/10th the circumference of the Earth.

In SI units that's about 4'000 kilometers. The Earth circumference is almost exactly 40'000 kilometers (by historical definition).

agent_flounder@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Guessing you don't want to be standing right next to the dome when it pings, then... 😳

sawdustprophet@midwest.social · 9 pts · 2y

"One ping only, Vasily."

homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y (2 replies)

What’s “x-band” mean

Edit: ah.

In radar engineering, the frequency range is specified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as 8.0–12.0 GHz. The X band is used for radar, satellite communication, and wireless computer networks.

Slightly less for comms eng.

blterrible@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 2y (1 reply)

WiFi will probably creep in at the lower end of that soon. We're only 2Ghz away!

aBundleOfFerrets@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y

WiGig was 60Ghz, I would bet we would take a second stab at that before picking a new range.

doublejay1999@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Where’s it going ?

sjmarf@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 2y

This is an old photograph from 2006, taken as the ship arrives at Pearl Harbour. The Radar was being moved from Corpus Christi, Texas.

Kiosade@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Wait, is THAT what those do? I used to see a bunch of them in the hills around a major airforce base. Jokingly called them the “Epcot” spheres.

sjmarf@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 2y

Yeah, they have a load of these radars at a military base near where I live in the UK. They’re called Radomes, but are commonly referred to as “The Golf Balls” around here lol

worsedoughnut@lemdro.id · 5 pts · 2y (2 replies)

How do they unload that? Do they kind of just tilt it into the water, or is there a giant crane freighter ship waiting at its destination?

sjmarf@sh.itjust.works · 19 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Blue Marlin is a semi-submersible ship, which means that it can lower itself partly underwater to allow its cargo to move on/off. The ship is designed primarily to move oil rigs around, with this being a special case. The radar itself is actually a converted oil rig.

Blue Marlin preparing to offload an oil rig:

worsedoughnut@lemdro.id · 2 pts · 2y

Oh sick, thanks!

AFaithfulNihilist@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

They are really pulling out all the stops for the new "Raft" sequel.