MPE 800A Filters Protect Against Ballistic Missiles

RAF Fylingdales, located in North Yorkshire, is an integral part of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS). Radar equipment on the site has been fully operational from September 1963, and its significance to the international community has never been greater, with the strike range of ICBMs ever increasing. RAF Fylingdales provides a vitally important capability by fulfilling its mission to provide continuous early warning and space surveillance services to the UK and US Governments.

MPE has had an ongoing relationship with RAF Fylingdales dating back over 25 years, having designed and supplied EMP protection filters for its solid-state radar array system originally back in the late 1980s. More recently, Fylingdales upgraded its facility to meet the present, internationally applied, US Standard Mil-Std-188-125 (UK Def-Stan-58-188 equivalent), including replacement of the previously installed EMP filters.

Based on a number of important criteria, including commercial, mechanical, technical and track record, MPE supplied a complete suite of HEMP filters. This suite of filters included a number of MPE’s unique, high-current 800A HEMP filters.

MPE HEMP filters consist of a single circuit with no current-sharing elements, thus avoiding the significant overheating and failure problems inherent in high-current filters from other manufacturers, which are based on the paralleling of multiple lower current filters.

Also, MPE’s ability to design and supply custom filters mechanically identical to the filters being replaced simplified the installation work and greatly reduced installation time and cost. Following complete site acceptance tests, the filters have now been in active service for over six years.

Of particular interest was the opportunity to test the MPE EMP filters replaced following 25 years of continuous service. Upon testing, all were found to be operating within their original manufacturing parameters, with no degradation in performance. Such long life greatly reduces costly plant maintenance and system downtime.

A time lapse video showing the installation of MPE’s 800A HEMP filters at RAF Fylingdales can be viewed by clicking the first image within this Bulletin.