The AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder was used by U.S.-led coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm as a long-range counter-battery radar for locating Iraqi artillery and rocket firing positions.
| Claim | Sources |
|---|---|
| AN/TPQ-37(V)6 radars were used extensively during Operation Desert Storm. | |
| Twenty-one TPQ-37 radars deployed to the Middle East in 1991 in support of VII and XVIII Corps. | Sources: InfoAge Firefinder History |
| The radar's conflict role was locating hostile artillery and rocket firing positions for counterfire rather than delivering fire itself. | |
| Desert Storm exposed mobility limits that shaped later V8 transportability and suspension upgrades. |
Timeline
FAS lists February 1983 as the AN/TPQ-37 initial operational capability milestone before later Gulf War deployment.
Sources: FAS AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder
InfoAge reports that 21 TPQ-37 radars deployed to the Middle East in support of VII Corps and XVIII Corps during Desert Storm.
Sources: InfoAge Firefinder History
FAS says V8 fielding was complete by the third quarter of 1997 after adding mobility and transportability improvements linked to Desert Storm shortcomings.
Sources: FAS AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder
The AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder is directly documented in 1990 Gulf War service. FAS and GlobalSecurity both identify the AN/TPQ-37(V)6 as the long-range Firefinder variant used extensively during Operation Desert Storm, while InfoAge's Firefinder history states that 21 TPQ-37 radars deployed to the Middle East in support of VII Corps and XVIII Corps in 1991.
The documented role was counter-battery target acquisition. Open technical references describe the Q-37 as a mobile phased-array artillery-locating radar that detects and tracks hostile artillery or rocket projectiles, extrapolates firing positions, and passes location data for counterfire.
Sources: FAS AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder, GlobalSecurity AN/TPQ-37, InfoAge Firefinder History
By the Gulf War, the AN/TPQ-37 had already completed U.S. Army production and had been assigned as the long-range member of the Firefinder family. FAS lists February 1983 initial operational capability in Europe and February 1986 completion of Army production.
During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the Q-37 appeared in the theater as a U.S. counterfire sensor. InfoAge gives the clearest deployment figure, reporting 21 TPQ-37s in the Middle East supporting VII and XVIII Corps.
Sources: FAS AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder, InfoAge Firefinder History
In coalition service, the AN/TPQ-37 did not itself fire weapons; it located hostile artillery and rocket launch points so friendly fire-support units could respond. GlobalSecurity describes the system's first-round detection range as 3 to 50 km depending on target type and says each radar could automatically extrapolate firing and impact points from tracked projectiles.
The radar complemented the shorter-range AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder. FAS describes two AN/TPQ-37 radars assigned to each division target-acquisition battery and employed with the AN/TPQ-36, with the Q-37 providing greater target-acquisition range.
The same sources that document Desert Storm use also identify a wartime limitation. FAS and GlobalSecurity describe the AN/TPQ-37(V)6 as fast and accurate but difficult to move, requiring breakdown for airlift in aircraft smaller than a C-5.
Later Enhanced Firefinder Block I changes were tied to that lesson. FAS and GlobalSecurity say the AN/TPQ-37(V)8 added C-130 roll-on and roll-off transportability, a medium tracked suspension system, self-survey capability, and other improvements to address shortcomings exposed during Operation Desert Storm.
