AN/APN-245 ACLS Beacon

The AN/APN-245 ACLS Beacon is the primary airborne component of the Automatic Carrier Landing System. It provides a point source on the aircraft that is necessary to achieve the tracking accuracy required for automatic landings aboard a carrier.

The ACLS Beacon consist of a receiver that is capable of receiving interrogations at Ka-Band from the AN/SPN-46 shipboard radar and creates an amplitude modulated I-Band reply transmitted to the shipboard Radar. The modulated reply pulses are received at the AN/SPN-46 Carrier Radar and used to close the tracking loop and generate control commands for UHF transmittal to the Automatic Flight Control System and the cockpit displays.

The AN/APN-245 includes significant performance and reliability improvements over the obsolete AN/APN-202. The ACLS Beacon is currently in product for the Navy’s F/A-18’s.

Communication, Navigation, Surveillance
/ Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM)
444 Salomon Circle
Sparks, NV 89434
Email: Contact CNS/ATM