SbX

SBX, short for Sea-Based X-band Radar, is a large floating radar platform that has been used to support the United States ballistic missile defense system. It is operated by the Missile Defense Agency with assistance from the U.S. Navy. The system is designed to provide long-range detection, tracking, and discrimination data for ballistic missile threats during the early phases of flight and to deliver high-resolution information to ground-based defense networks.

In terms of design, SBX is based on a converted offshore drilling rig hull and is equipped with an X-band radar housed in a prominent radome. The platform is moored in the Pacific Ocean and staffed by a crew along with civilian contractors. Its mission is to monitor missile launches, track multiple targets, and supply real-time data to interconnected defense systems, complementing land-based and sea-based sensors within the broader missile defense architecture.

Role within the missile defense system places SBX as a key sensor capable of providing wide-area surveillance and discriminating between decoys and actual warheads during test launches and potential contingencies. Data from SBX is intended to be integrated with other sensors, including ground-based radars and ships, to improve threat assessment and decision-making for interceptors.

Public knowledge about SBX emphasizes its function as a high-end, albeit costly, sensor within the U.S. missile defense framework, deployed for testing and operational campaigns as conditions and strategic priorities require. Its existence reflects ongoing efforts to enhance early tracking and discrimination capabilities in layered defense architectures.