Strategic surveillance and tactical fire-control radar

Is there a meaningful distinction between strategic or operational radar and tactical radar?

Broadly yes: strategic surveillance systems tend to be larger, more power-hungry, and optimized for wide-area awareness, while tactical radars support target engagement and fire control with different modes and frequencies.

The answer places land-based and airborne early-warning systems at the strategic end because they trade mobility and power for range and coverage. Tactical sensors focus on the precision and update rate needed to engage a target. It also adds a careful caveat that exact modern capabilities require checking what information is genuinely public.