By David Dunlop, 28 May 2025
The Lockheed Martin/MDA Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) land-based TPY-6 is based in the LM SPY 7 Radar Technology and is a massive undertaking by both LM/MDA & US. Although they do not say how many RMAs are in each 4-sided Phased Array Assembly blocks, each block is 60 feet by 60 feet so I would think at least 100 to 125 RMAs minimum each block, as can be seen by the pictures of the ones in Alaska & Guam (Just a 'few' more than either the SPY 7 (V1, V2 V3) ships or even the new SPY 6 (V1) on the Arleigh Burke Block III ships would have combined. There is a picture of part of the inside of an assembly array. These Ground-Based LRDR Radars (GBRs) are strictly for ballistic missile defence (BMD) to protect the US and part of Trump's 'Golden Dome' project which Canada is 'considering' joining. Trump has said recently that Canada's costs would be somewhere around $61 Billion US (over $84 Billion CDN or about 54 Billion Euros) but would cost us nothing as the 51st state (take that with a grain of salt)!! I believe Trump is deliberately 'low-balling' the costs just to get the Prime Minister's goat and when all is said and done, we are more than likely looking at a system of at least $500-750 Billion US. I believe the White House will need more partners to invest in this venture and (possibly 2 or 3 Elon Musk type Billionaires) for this system to get off the ground as the US cannot do this alone. This system has already been successfully tested between Guam & Alaska and the technology has been proven by both LM/MDA. There are also videos on line of the process from initial launch to missile destruction. 'If' Canada were to join this program, I suspect the River Class Destroyers (RCDs) must also have this BMD capability. These Arrays would most likely have some very powerful cooling generation to keep the system going. Although this is a generational change program, it may be too rich for us and possibly more than Canada needs as far as NORAD/CUSMA renewal goes. Something to think about.
