Thales launches new multirole surveillance radar
Quentin Reytinas © Thales
SEARCHMASTER is a multirole surveillance radar with the ability to meet all the surveillance requirements of five mission types: antisurface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance, ground surveillance and tactical air support. It features an AESA active electronic scanning antenna based on fully qualified technologies developed for the RBE2 AESA nose-mounted radar on the Rafale combat aircraft.
The company cites the key benefits of this new product as an extended range, 360° coverage, electronic scanning in the vertical plane for simultaneous short-range and longrange surveillance, and continuous detection in harsh environmental conditions.
This high-performance radar is designed to meet the requirements of airborne surface, ground and air surveillance missions, with its compact, lightweight design (approximately 75 kg), easy to install and integrate with a system.
It is suitable for MALE (medium altitude, long endurance) UAVs, medium-tonnage or heavy-lift mission helicopters and mission aircraft (turboprop or jet-engined), providing all these platforms with multimission capabilities. In addition, the introduction of AESA technology, coupled with innovative concepts of integrated maintenance, aims to reduce maintenance costs and improve operational availability.
SEARCHMASTER has been selected by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) for the French Navy's upgraded Atlantique 2 (ATL2) maritime patrol aircraft.
