Figure 5:    RCDC - Nonconsolidated “T” configuration - typical layout

Overall Improved System Description: The battery is the fire unit and is divided into three areas - the Battery Control, Launching and Assembly and Service areas. (Number indicated as “Item #“ below are keyed to Figure 5).

 (1) The RCDC (Radar Course Directing Central) commonly called the Integrated Fire Control (IFC) or Battery Control Area, contains the following major items of equipment:

 (a) Item 5: Director Station, housing the computer, tactical and operational controls, and monitors, communications equipment, and components of the acquisition radars. The missile fire command originates from this point.

 (b) Item 9: Hipar Antenna, consisting of the environmental pro­tection cover, and the main, omni, and auxiliary antennas. (Fixed Sites).

 (c) Item 9. 1: TPX-46 Antenna, for synchronizing IFF/SIF chal­lenges with the Hipar. (An older system, TPX-26 uses a coax cable to the main ant).

 (d) Item 7: Hipar Equipment Building: Houses the electronic equipment of the Hipar radar (Fixed sites).

e) Item 3: LOPAR (Low Power Acquisition Radar), houses the re­flector and three tubs that make up the receiver-transmitter group.

 (f) Item 14: Corridor Building, to provide an anti-way between command and operational trailers and mounting for some communications.

 (g)Item 6: Power Building, provides housing facilities for generators and associated power equipment.

(h) Item 10: Tracking Station, containing the controls for the three tracking radars, components of these radars, and built-in test equipment.

(i) Item 12 & 13: The auxiliary acquisition radar (AAR) or auxiliary battery acquisition radar (ABAR), the long range search radar used where HIPAR is not emplaced.

 (j) Item 11: TPX-46 antenna and interrogator set, used as the local identification set with LOPAR. (An older system still fielded is the TPX-27, which has an antenna mounted on the LOPAR).

 (k)Item 1: Target Tracking Radar (TTR), the TTR tracks the target and furnishes the computer with slant range, azimuth, and elevation position data.

 (l) Item 2: Target Ranging Radar (TRR). The TRR is slaved to the TTR and is used to furnish only range information in an ECM environ­ment. It contains two separate transmitters and three receiver channels.

 (m) Item 4: Missile Tracking Radar (MTR). The MTR tracks the missile from the time it is erected on the launcher until burst, sends missile present position data to the computer, and transmits steering and burst commands to the missile.

 (2)     The Assembly and Service Area is normally located adjacent to the launching area and contains organizational handling and service equipment necessary for missile assembly, servicing and testing, and warhead installation.

(3)     The Launching Area contains the following major items of equipment:

 (a) Item 15: Trailer Mounted Launch Control Station (LCT) is the launching area operational control and communication center. The missile launching section is selected from the LCT. In an emergency, the fire com­mand may originate at the LCT. The LCT can control a maximum of four launching sections.

 (b)Item 16: Flight Simulator. Used to test components of the MTR. It simulates a missile guidance package and its response to radar signals is monitored in the LCT.

(c) Item 17: Launcher, handling rail, loading and storage racks and the Hercules missile. The Loading   and storage racks contain test positions for ready-round testing and check-out. The launcher erecting beam elevates the missile to the firing position. The handling rail is used to move the missile from the storage position onto the launcher. The complete round consists of a booster and missile, both using solid propellants. The missile is dart shaped, with control surfaces at the rear. Antenna horns are attached to the forward portion for radar communication. The Hercules missile may contain either a high explosive or a nuclear warhead. The missile receives steering and burst commands from the MTR and translates the steering commands to elevon deflections. Its transponder transmits a beacon signal which is tracked by the MTR.

The In-line configuration is the preferred type of emplacement, due to less “Radar Masking^t1 than occurs in the “T” configuration. The “T” configuration is used when land area for emplacement of the BC area precludes the In-line emplacement. When the Mobile HIPAR system is deployed, the layout depicted in figure 9 is substituted for the fixed HIPAR components shown in figure 6 (power plant closest to corridor building).