The Sea-Based X-Band Radar-1 (SBX-1)

K B CHARAN
USN:4SN15MR009
kbcharansullia@gmail.com
DEPARTMENT OF MARINE ENGINEERING
SRINIVAS INSTITUTE OF TTECHNOLOGY, MANGALURU - 574143

Abstract: The Sea-Based X-band Radar (SBX) is a
unique radar housed on a decommissioned North
Sea oil rig. The SBX produces very high-resolution
images of incoming threat clouds, which helps
BMD interceptors discriminate between lethal
objects and debris. The SBX has contributed to 12
tests of the GMD system and provided tracking and
kill assessment for Operation Burnt Frost in 2008
when an Aegis BMD destroyer shot down a
potentially toxic satellite falling out of orbit. 1It has
also been deployed on numerous occasions to
monitor North Korea’s long-range missile tests and
routinely contributes to USAF flight tests of U.S.
intercontinental ballistic missiles.
INTRODUCTION
The Sea-Based X-Band Radar-1 (SBX-1)
constitutes a mid-course fire control radar based on
a seagoing semi-submersible vessel. The platform
was developed by Boeing, as part of the ground-
based midcourse defence (GMD) component of the
US Ballistic Missile Defence System (BMDS). The
GMD intercepts incoming warheads. The SBX
vessel was transferred to the Military Sealift
Command (MSC) in December 2011. MSC
operates and maintains the vessel, while the Missile
Defence Agency (MDA) is responsible for the x-
band radar. The SBX will be assigned with a
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY OF THE SBX-1
"On 23 March 2012, SBX-1 sailed from Pearl
Harbour to the Pacific region, ahead of North
Korea’s planned space launch."
In August 2002, Boeing was awarded a $31m
contract by MDA to oversee the development of a
new sea-based radar system for its BMDS. In
January 2003, the US Government purchased a
50,000t semi-submersible seagoing platform from
Norwegian company Moss Maritime, for the
integration of radar system. The platform was
modified at the Keppel AMFELS shipyard in
Brownsville, Texas, to suit the radar outfit
requirements, under the supervision of the ground-
based midcourse defence joint programme office.
The assembly and installation of the x-band radar
on to the platform was completed in April 2005 by
Kiewit Offshore Services in Ingleside, Texas. The
platform underwent additional alterations at the
Pearl Harbour Naval Shipyard in Honolulu,
Hawaii. In July 2005, the vessel was officially
named as the Sea-Based X-Band Radar-1 (SBX-1)
by the MDA. The SBX-1 underwent a series of sea
trials and exercises in the Gulf of Mexico and the
Pacific Ocean, prior to its service entry.
DESIGN AND FEATURES OF THE SEA-

limited test support role from fiscal year 2013. BASED X-BAND RADAR-1 PLATFORM
SBX-1 is based on the modified fifth-generation
semi-submersible platform of Moss Maritime.
Fig.1 Fully constructed and operational SBX-1
"In 2002, Boeing was awarded a $31m contract
by MDA to oversee development of a new sea-
based radar system for its BMDS."
The twin-hulled vessel can withstand high winds
and rigid sea conditions. It houses x-band radar, a
bridge, control rooms, accommodation units,
workspaces, storage spaces, a power generation
area and a Heli-deck. The SBX-1 platform is
equipped with a command, control and
communications system, plus an in-flight
interceptor communication system data terminal.
The platform has the capacity to hold supplies and
fuel for 60 days. It also offers additional space for
installation of new modules. The vessel has a length
of 389ft, beam of 238ft and a draft of 33ft. It can
travel at a maximum speed of 9kt. It can
accommodate a crew of 87, including officers,
civilians, civil service mariners and contract
mariners.
SBX-1 MISSIONS AND US BALLISTIC
MISSILE DEFENCE SYSTEM (BMDS)
DETAILS
The SBX-1, integrated with the BMDS system,
provides tracking information of incoming missiles
and countermeasures discrimination for GMD
interceptor missiles, in order to destroy the threat
missile outside the Earth’s atmosphere. It also
protects the US and its allied forces from potential
missile attacks. The radar performs cued search,
precision tracking, object discrimination and
missile kill assessment. The in-flight interceptor
communication system data terminal transfers
commands from the GMD fire control system to the
interceptor missile during its engagement with the
target missile.
X-BAND RADAR (XBR), BUILT BY
RAYTHEON FOR BOEING
The x-band radar, or XBR, was designed, built and
tested by Raytheon for Boeing, the prime
contractor of the SBX-1 development. It is the most
advanced electro-mechanically steered phased
array x-band radar derived from the radar of
the Aegis combat system. The radar beam is
formed by the 45,000 transmit / receive modules,
mounted on an octagonal flat base. It can see an
object similar to the size of a baseball at a range of
2,500 miles. About 69,632 multisectoral circuits
are used in the radar for transmitting, receiving and
amplifying signals. The 18,000lbs radome
measures 103ft in height and 120ft in diameter. It
is built with high-tech synthetic fabric material to
withstand wind speeds of more than 130mph. Air
pressure supports the flexible cover which
surrounds the radar. The vessel is also installed
with small rigid radomes. Onboard equipment is
powered by six 3.6MW generators.
Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)
Radar:
The radar antenna itself is 4,130 sq. ft. It has
numerous solid-state transmit-receive modules
mounted on an octagonal flat base which can move
±270 degrees in azimuth and 0 to 85 degrees
elevation (although software currently limits the
maximum physical elevation to 80 degrees). The
maximum azimuth and elevation velocities are
approximately 5-8 degrees per second. In addition
to the physical motion of the base, the beam can be
electronically steered off bore-sight.
Fig.2 The Big Radar in Construction
There are over 22,000 modules installed on the
base. Each module has one transmit-receive feed
horn and one auxiliary receive feed horn for a
second polarization, so there close to 45,000
feedhorns. The base is roughly 2/3 populated, with
space for installation of additional modules. The
current modules are concentrated towards the
centre, so as to minimize grating lobes. This
configuration allows it to support the very-long-
range target discrimination and tracking that
GMD's midcourse segment requires. The array
itself requires over a megawatt of power to operate.
This active electronically scanned array radar is
derived from the radar used in the THAAD theatre
ballistic missile defence system, and is a part of the
layered BMD program of the United States Missile
Defence Agency. An important difference between
SBX and the Aegis radar system used by the US
Navy is the use of X band radar. Aegis uses S band.
For comparison, the Patriot land-based missile
system uses the higher-frequency C band. The X
band frequency is higher still, so its shorter
wavelength enables finer resolution of tracked
objects. The radar is designed and built by
Raytheon Integrated Defence Systems for Boeing,
the prime contractor on the project for MDA. The
radar has been described by the director of MDA as
being able to track an object the size of a baseball
over San Francisco in California from the
Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, well over 2,500 away.
The radar will guide land-based missiles from
Alaska and California, as well as in-theatre assets.
CS-50 Vessel and Propulsion:
The CS-50 semi-submersible rig on which the radar
is mounted was built as the "Moss Sirius" at the
Vyborg Shipyard in Russia for Moss Maritime
(now part of the Saipem offshore company). It was
purchased for the Sea-based X-band Radar project
by the Boeing company, outfitted with propulsion,
power and living quarters at the AmFELS shipyard
in Brownsville, Texas, and integrated with the radar
at the Kiewit yard in Ingleside, Texas.
The thrusters which propel the vessel are electric
and require substantial power. The maximum speed
is 8-9 knots. To support this and the other electrical
needs of the vessel, the SBX-1 has six 3.6-
megawatt generators (12-cylinder Caterpillar OPERATIONAL HISTORY
diesels).
 The SBX was first deployed in 2006. The
ship has received upgrades and
maintenance at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii
several times since. This includes 170 days
in 2006, 63 days in 2007, 63 days in 2008,
177 days in 2009, and 51 days in 2010.
 When not at Hawaii, the SBX has been on
operational deployments in the Pacific,
including traveling to waters off Alaska. A
$26 million, eight-point mooring chain

Fig.3 Radar flatform system was completed for her in 2007 in

Adak's Kuluk Bay.
The generators are in two compartments, one port
 On June 23, 2009, the SBX was moved to
and one starboard. The maximum power currently
offshore Hawaii in response to a potential
drawn is roughly 12 megawatts. There are plans to
North Korean missile launch. Between
expand the number of generators to eight, four on
2009 and 2010, the vessel spent 396
each side, so that one entire compartment could be
continuous days at sea, which is a
lost and the vessel would still continue to operate at
significant, long-term deployment for any
full capability.SBX-1 is home based at Adak
military vessel.
Island, Alaska, part of the Aleutian Islands. From
 On January 31, 2010, a test intercept
that location it can track missiles launched toward
designated FTG-06 failed. The test was a
the US from both North Korea and China. Although
simulation of a North Korean or Iranian
her homeport is in Alaska, she will be tasked with
missile launch ballistic missile launch.
moving throughout the Pacific Ocean to support her
After analysis, it was determined that the
mission.
test failure was based on t3wo issues. 1st,
algorithms in the SBX radar software
designed to filter out extraneous
information from the target scene were
unintentionally left disengaged and did not
operate. 2nd, a mechanical failure in a
thruster on the kill vehicle developed and
the intercept could not occur in any case.
 On December 15, 2010, after corrections
and simulated tests, another test was
Fig.4 placing the radar aboard the oil platform conducted designated FTG-06a. In this test,
 the SBX-1 performed as expected and all of • Conducting BMD operations may reduce a
its algorithms operated without issue. ship’s ability to conduct air defence
 In May 2011, the SBX-1 entered Vigor operations against aircrafts.
Shipyard (formerly the Todd Pacific • Very rough waters might inhibit crew’s
Shipyard) in Seattle for a $27 million ability to operate a ships system, including
upgrade and maintenance work by Boeing its BMD systems, potentially creating
company. The work was completed in three occasional gaps in BMD coverage.
months and in August 2011, SBX-1
departed Seattle for her next deployment. REFERENCES
 In February 2012, the Missile Defence
Agency requested only $9.7 million per 1. www.naval-technology.com/projects/sea-
year budget for 2013 through 2017. This based- x-band-radar-1-sbx-1
was a reduced amount but would allow the 2. Sea Based X-Band Radar (SBX)
SBX to be maintained in a “limited test Sourcebook
support” role, "while also retaining the 3. Brief history of the Sea Based X Band
ability to recall it to an active, operational Radar booklet
status if and when it is needed.”
 In April 2012, SBX-1 left Pearl Harbour to
monitor North Korea's planned Unha-3
missile in the launch window of 12–16
April 2012. The vessel returned to Pearl
Harbour on 21 May 2012. It redeployed to
monitor the next North Korean launch
attempt at the end of 2012.
 In April 2013 SBX-1 was again deployed to
monitor North Korea.

LIMITATIONS

Limitation is its relatively narrow 25 degree

viewing arc, which has been likened to looking
through a “soda straw.” Because of this, SBX has a
limited ability to track an incoming missile and
relies on other sensors to provide the target’s
location and trajectory, meaning that it cannot be
used as a standalone sensor.