IN Brief:
- SRC subsidiary SRCTec has manufactured the 750th SR Hawk radar for military and security surveillance applications.
- The radar combines full-circle coverage, automated track processing, clutter filtering, and electro-optical or infrared camera cueing.
- Tower, vehicle, and tripod configurations support different fixed-site and deployable surveillance requirements.
SRC, Inc. has delivered its 750th SR Hawk surveillance radar, marking a manufacturing milestone for a system used in military force protection and security operations. The radar is produced by subsidiary SRCTec and combines continuous all-round surveillance with automatic target tracking, image-sensor cueing, and installation options for fixed or deployable positions.
The milestone relates to cumulative deliveries, not an order for 750 radars placed in November. SRC says the system supports US and allied users internationally, but does not identify the recipient of the latest unit, the value of its order, or how the delivered fleet is divided among customers. The manufacturer has also not published a target for the next production batch.
SR Hawk provides surveillance of personnel, ground vehicles, and marine vessels. Its 360-degree coverage allows radar tracking across the monitored area without an operator having to steer a narrow-field camera continuously. SRC also identifies simultaneous short- and long-range coverage, but does not state the detection ranges, angular resolution, or probability of detection for the configuration delivered at the milestone.
A radar and a camera provide different information. Reflected radio energy allows radar processing to establish a detected object’s location and successive observations can produce a track; a compatible optical or infrared camera can then examine that track with a different sensor. This arrangement lets operators select targets of interest without relying entirely on cameras to search the wider area, particularly when visibility is limited.
Electro-optical and infrared camera cueing is part of SR Hawk’s advertised system capability. A tracked position can be transferred to a connected camera so that its field of view is directed towards the selected object. Accuracy depends on the position and orientation relationship between the radar and camera and on timely transfer of track information. SRC has not specified a universal camera model or interface used by every customer.
Automatic track processing follows detections over time, while clutter filtering is intended to suppress unwanted responses from the monitored environment. Both functions affect how much potentially relevant activity reaches an operator for assessment. SRC does not provide independent detection or false-alarm results with this manufacturing announcement, so the processing features cannot be converted into numerical field-performance claims.
Tower, vehicle-mounted, and tripod versions give customers different approaches to installation. Towers can provide an elevated fixed site, a vehicle mount supports mobility, and tripods allow relocation without permanent infrastructure. Each option has different requirements for stability, power, communications, and sensor alignment. The supplier has not identified the mounting configuration used for the 750th delivered radar.
Command-and-control integration provides a way to combine the radar’s position and track information with material from other installed sensors. At a permanent installation this may involve existing surveillance infrastructure; a deployable unit needs suitable communications and power alongside the radar. SRC identifies such integration capability but has not listed the software protocols or command systems used by its international customers.
Repeatable radar manufacturing requires the antenna, radio-frequency sections, processing electronics, cabling, and mechanical enclosure to meet the intended configuration. Assembly and test work has to establish that the completed equipment performs the specified detection, tracking, and interface functions. SRC attributes the milestone to engineering and SRCTec production teams, without disclosing the testing sequence or rejection rate for individual units.
SRC is also supplying Gryphon R1430 radars for the British Army’s SERPENS programme under a separate £74 million contract announced in October. The UK procurement covers a different radar family, customer, and application. The SR Hawk production count cannot be attributed to the SERPENS order, even though both programmes contribute to SRC’s wider radar manufacturing work.
Force protection and installation security are among SR Hawk’s stated applications. A detection provides a position or track, rather than an identification of a person’s intentions or a complete assessment of an event. Optical or infrared observation, other available information, and operator decisions remain separate parts of the surveillance process.
A delivered fleet of at least 750 radars also creates support requirements beyond initial manufacture. Repairs, replacement parts, software configuration control, and compatibility with connected cameras and command systems can become necessary as equipment remains in use. SRC has not attached a new maintenance award, facility expansion, or specified output increase to the milestone.
The confirmed 4 November development is the delivery of SR Hawk’s 750th unit from SRCTec. Further order quantities and production targets were not disclosed. The system remains offered for fixed and deployable surveillance configurations, with future radar deliveries and upgrades dependent on separate customer requirements.
