US Army Accelerates Delivery of Sentinel A4 Missile Defense Radar

Lockheed Martin’s Sentinel A4 high-performance missile defense radar will improve existing capability against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems, and rotary and fixed wing threats By DA Staff / 08 Nov 2021

Discover Leading Defense Technology Solutions

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Lockheed Martin Sentinel A4
Follow DA

The U.S. Army Sentinel A4 Program Office provided an accelerated contract award to Lockheed Martin to begin production for five additional radar systems developed specifically to detect and identify cruise missiles, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), rotary and fixed wing aircraft, and rocket, artillery, and mortar threats. 

Soldiers will use these radars to evaluate the operations of the new Sentinel A4s, which are projected to be delivered by the end of 2022.

“The Lockheed Martin team truly understands the importance that this system holds for our warfighters,” said Troy Allen, program manager for the U.S. Army Sentinel A4 program office. 

“Once equipped with the Sentinel A4, our soldiers will operate in a more secure warfighting environment, improving capabilities against multiple evolving threats.”

“This latest contract was awarded two years earlier in the development process than in previous programs, thanks to the team’s continued success in meeting all milestones ahead of schedule,” said Mark Mekker, director of Army Radars for Lockheed Martin.

“It’s not only representative of the hard work of our employees, but also the U.S. Army’s confidence in the experience and performance of Lockheed Martin.”

The initial $281 million Sentinel A4 contract for 18 radars was awarded two years ago, and the Sentinel A4 team has already completed production of the first A4 system. Lockheed Martin executed a full radar development program, including the traditional design process events, most of which was completed during strict COVID-19 conditions, in that short timeframe. The first five systems of the original contract are expected to be delivered to the U.S. Army in March 2022.

The Sentinel A4 program has an agile development process and has stayed ahead of schedule for several reasons, including Lockheed Martin’s choice to develop digital models that are shared across the supply base lending to flexibility, optimized test opportunities and cost savings.

Lockheed Martin’s open architecture is the cornerstone of the radar system’s design and will allow for future upgrades that extend the life of the radar and address evolving threats over the next 40 years. To quickly mature the design of this radar system, Lockheed Martin focused on the core building blocks, those repeating architecture elements that provide the real radar capability, and then scaled from there to bring up the mechanical structures around it.

The company has invested significantly in the advancement of its software-defined radar technology, including its automated manufacturing processes, which improves quality and leads to cost reduction.

Posted by DA Staff Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

High-Performance Propeller Solutions for Defense & Government UAV Applications

Defense Advancement showcases Flyber's robust propeller solutions for military and government unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

Jun 23, 2025
Honeywell’s F-35 PTMS Delivers Proven Performance with Scalable Upgrades & Global Support

Honeywell’s Power and Thermal Management System (PTMS) supports F-35 fleets with integrated power and cooling, a scalable 80kW upgrade path, and global sustainment and repair infrastructure

Jun 23, 2025
Enhancing Law Enforcement with BVLOS Drones & Elsight’s Secure Connectivity

Discover how Elsight’s BVLOS connectivity is boosting law enforcement operations by improving response times, enhancing safety, and supporting critical drone missions

Jun 23, 2025
Strategic Partnership Advances AI-Enabled Aerial Reconnaissance

Airbus and Quantum Systems are partnering to develop open, AI-enabled aerial reconnaissance solutions that enhance European defense capabilities

Jun 23, 2025
Aurora Supports University Research on Autonomy, Battery Systems & UAM Design

Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, supports NASA-backed university projects with tools, expertise, and testing to advance autonomy, battery systems, and urban air mobility (UAM) design

Jun 20, 2025
ROVs Deployed to Support Underwater Demining Across Ukraine

Deep Trekker has delivered sixteen REVOLUTION ROVs to Ukraine’s emergency services, supporting underwater demining operations through a UNDP-led initiative

Jun 20, 2025

Featured Content

Q&A: Periphery’s Approach to Cybersecurity & CRA Readiness

This Q&A explores how Periphery’s AI-powered platform secures embedded devices with real-time threat detection, supporting defence applications and EU Cyber Resilience Act compliance

Jun 18, 2025
Trillium Launches Advanced Gimbal for Medium & Long Range Reconnaissance

Trillium Engineering’s new HD45 LV R delivers advanced imaging performance in an ultra-light gimbal, optimized for long range and medium range ISR missions

Jun 11, 2025
Honeywell Unveils New Lightweight Tactical-Grade IMU

Honeywell has launched the HG3900 IMU, a compact tactical-grade unit with reduced size and power consumption while maintaining near-navigation-grade performance levels

Jun 10, 2025
Advancing Defense Capability Through Strategic Collaboration Defense Advancement works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive defense capabilities forward.