Editing Fire-control radar (section)

{{Short description|Narrowly focused radar beam whose reflected signal is used to obtain a missile lock-on}}
[[File:Fc-rate.gif|thumb|200px|<!--Range finder with lightning,-->United States Navy Fire Controlman (FC), USN rating badge]]

A '''fire-control radar''' ('''FCR''') is a [[radar]] that is designed specifically to provide information (mainly target [[azimuth]], [[elevation angle|elevation]], [[ranging|range]] and [[range rate]]) to a [[fire-control system]] in order to direct weapons such that they hit a target. They are sometimes known as '''narrow beam radars''',<ref>{{cite book |title=A Dictionary of Aviation |first=David W. |last=Wragg |isbn=9780850451634 |edition=first |publisher=Osprey |year=1973 |page=199}}</ref> '''targeting radars''', '''tracking radars''', or in the UK, '''gun-laying radars'''. If the radar is used to guide a missile, it is often known as a '''target illuminator''' or '''illuminator radar'''.

A typical fire-control radar emits a [[Pencil (optics)|narrow]], intense beam of [[radio wave]]s to ensure accurate tracking information and to minimize the chance of losing track of the target. This makes them less suitable for initial detection of the target, and FCRs are often partnered with a medium-range [[search radar]] to fill this role. In British terminology, these medium-range systems were known as [[tactical control radar]]s.

Most modern radars have a [[track-while-scan]] capability, enabling them to function simultaneously as both fire-control radar and search radar. This works either by having the radar switch between sweeping the search sector and sending directed pulses at the target to be tracked, or by using a [[phased-array]] antenna to generate multiple simultaneous radar beams that both search and track.