British Army hits the target with new radar system

The 53 Air Assault Battery, 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, is using the new Ground Based Surveillance Radar (GBSR) as part of a network of sophisticated sensors working together to win the fight on Exercise Rhino Bizz.

The first GSBR systems were delivered to the Catterick-based unit in late 2025. It is used to track the location and movement of soldiers and vehicles on the ground, and aircraft and drones in the air.

It can also be used for fall of shot correction, working with artillery and mortars to track exactly where rounds are landing and correct their aim, destroying the target quicker.

Portable, lightweight and easily deployed

GBSR is intended to work alongside 53 Bty’s main radar system, the heavier and more powerful Lightweight Multimode Radar (LMR). GBSR can be carried by troops moving on foot, to provide localised coverage for specific missions or to fill gaps in LMR coverage.

Staff Sergeant Dan Graham said the vast prairie of British Army Training Unit Suffield gave “almost laboratory conditions” to learn about the system’s capabilities.

He said: “The landscape is quite flat and there are no trees or buildings, so we’re getting a pure return on the radar. It’s giving us a baseline for the system and then we can develop our understanding by using it in more challenging conditions.”

Lance Bombardier Devon Neal, second-in-command of a GBSR detachment out on the ground, said: “One of the great advantages of this kit is how lightweight it is and how quick it is to set up.

“We can move it quickly to where it’s needed as another sensor to understand the battlefield and that makes our lethality and survivability a lot better.”

How an AI-enabled network of sensors provide a rapid yet comprehensive picture

Exercise Rhino Bizz saw 16 Air Assault Brigade join forces with Canadian soldiers to show how they would “fight tonight” on a battlefield dominated by drones and electronic warfare.

Troops tested the recce-strike concept of fighting, bringing together surveillance, reconnaissance and strike platforms in an AI-enabled network able to identify and destroy targets faster and further.

SSgt Graham described “a hive mind” of sensors working together, all finding different information about the enemy.

He said: “Once one sensor picks up something, we can direct all the other sensors onto that track and really build up a clear picture of what it is and what it’s doing – and then decide what we want to do about it. Using AI to merge and interpret all the data speeds that process from minutes to seconds and that gives us a headstart on the enemy.”

The 5th Regiment Royal Artillery is the British Army’s only Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment. It provides 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team and the Warfighting Division with specialist weapon locating and counter-fires capabilities.