TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, PA. -The construction of a high-tech igloo marked the next step in new workload arriving at Tobyhanna Army Depot - repairing and testing Marine Corps radars.

Multi-million dollar construction and renovation projects around the depot have kicked into high gear preparing for the arrival of AN/TPS-59 radar antenna workload next month. The mission is being transferred from Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., due to Base Realignment and Closure decisions made in 2005.

Tobyhanna is scheduled to become the depot source of repair for the AN/TPS-59 in September.

The facilities needed to conduct safe and effective testing of the transferring radar systems include a radar test range consisting of a 77-foot radome and a 330-foot communications tower. Overhaul capability will reside in 60,000 square feet of newly renovated space within the industrial complex.

"We needed an area to operate the AN/TPS-59 simultaneously with other systems being tested on the installation," said George Galaydick, electronics engineer, Production Engineering Directorate, explaining that the key to selecting Powder Smoke Ridge as the best spot to place the radome was blending radio frequency engineering with civil design.

The decision to place the radome on Powder Smoke Ridge was based on a thorough analysis of the depot's use of ground and air space. The goal was to ensure the accuracy of all radar testing conducted now and in the future.

"Everything we did concerning this project was done for a specific purpose," said David Klaips, a radio frequency engineer working on the project. "We analyzed the whole area with regard to potential interference and compatibility [with other radar systems]."

Galaydick added that the strategic placement of the radome and communications tower "will improve productivity and safety of the systems."

Developed for the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) and the U.S. Marine Corps, the AN/TPS-59 is designed to operate in conjunction with surface-to-air missile systems. The radar is a long-range air surveillance sensor for the Marine Corps Air Group Tactical Force. It can precisely predict missile launch and impact points, detect enemy aircraft and cue defensive weapons against incoming threats.

Depot employees took the best features of existing radomes, and then tweaked the design to enhance performance and meet mission requirements. It will take about three weeks to build the radome, weather permitting.

According to Galaydick, the antenna array electronics must be maintained at a high level of performance for the radar to provide an immediate enhanced Tactical Missile Defense/early warning capability. The radome will protect the array from the effects of environmental exposure (rain, hail, ice, snow, dust, temperature changes, humidity and wind), which will maximize productivity and ensure accuracy during acceptance testing.

"The repair cycle time for the repair and testing process is 180 days," Galaydick said, remarking that since Tobyhanna is an overhaul site, there needs to be an almost laboratory grade environment to conduct testing.

"It's pioneering efforts like these that help Tobyhanna maintain its competitive edge," said Peter Moore, mechanical engineer, Public Works Directorate. "We're taking advantage of opportunities today to set the stage for the future."

Tobyhanna Army Depot is the Defense Department's largest center for the repair, overhaul and fabrication of a wide variety of electronics systems and components, from tactical field radios to the ground terminals for the defense satellite communications network. Tobyhanna's missions support all branches of the Armed Forces.

About 5,600 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army CECOM Life Cycle Management Command. Headquartered at Fort Monmouth, N.J., the command's mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.