In the years immediately following World War II, the fleet relied on relatively simple two-dimensional air and surface search sets, such as the AN/SPS-6 and later the AN/SPS-10. These provided range and bearing information but required separate systems, like the AN/SPS-8, to determine altitude. At the same time, gunfire control radars, integrated with directors such as the Mk 25 and Mk 34, ensured accurate naval gunfire. As jet aircraft became faster and more numerous in the 1950s, new radars like the AN/SPS-12 and AN/SPS-29 extended detection ranges and improved clutter rejection, giving carriers and surface ships a better chance of early warning.

By the 1960s, the Navy faced the challenge of defending against supersonic aircraft and long-range bombers. This drove the introduction of three-dimensional radars, beginning with the AN/SPS-39 and maturing in the AN/SPS-48 family. For the first time, a single radar could provide bearing, range, and altitude, a crucial advantage in guiding surface-to-air missiles against high-speed, high-altitude threats. Alongside this, the AN/SPS-40 became a standard two-dimensional long-range air search radar across many ship classes. Many of these radars continued in service well past the Cold War.