PARCS Radar System

Full Specifications

PARCS Long‑Range Missile Warning Radar

The Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System, or PARCS, is a long‑range, ground‑based phased‑array radar at Cavalier Space Force Station, North Dakota. It stands as a key part of the United States missile warning network. Built during the Cold War, this huge radar now provides missile warning data and space surveillance input to the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Strategic Command. PARCS operates in the UHF band and continuously scans northward toward the Arctic to detect intercontinental and sea‑launched ballistic missiles headed toward the continental U.S. and Canada. It also feeds satellite track and space object metrics into the Space Surveillance Network.

Manufacturer

PARCS was originally developed by General Electric in the early 1970s as part of the Army’s Safeguard anti‑ballistic missile system. After the Safeguard system was shut down, control passed to the U.S. Air Force and later to the U.S. Space Force. Today it is operated by Space Delta 4 and supported by contractors including Summit Technical Solutions.

Speed and Range

Radar systems do not have “speed” like aircraft, but PARCS provides continuous, real‑time scanning with a very long detection range. It can detect and track missile targets and space objects at distances up to about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) and monitor greater space volumes, making it a backbone sensor in continental and space warning networks.

Cost/Price

Because AN/FPQ-16 PARCS is a government‑owned defense asset, no unit price is published. Lifecycle sustainment, operations, and maintenance contracts run into the tens of millions of dollars per year, reflecting its high cost to keep operational with aging, custom components.