Thales has confirmed that its Floor Fireplace air surveillance and air defence radar has entered steady sequence manufacturing for integration with the brand new Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG system, in keeping with the corporate.
The announcement follows profitable manufacturing unit acceptance assessments carried out earlier this yr within the presence of France’s Armament Common Directorate (DGA).
Eight Floor Fireplace radars are scheduled for supply to the French Armed Forces starting in 2026. Thales said that the system will present 400 km surveillance vary, 360-degree azimuth protection, and full 90-degree elevation, making it appropriate for detecting targets from drones to ballistic missiles. The radar will change the older Arabel system in SAMP/T batteries already deployed by European operators.
The corporate mentioned the Floor Fireplace radar employs absolutely digital a number of beamforming Lively Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) expertise within the S-band, enabling speedy one-second refresh charges and correct goal classification in advanced environments resembling mountainous or dense airspaces. The radar’s open structure is designed to reinforce interoperability amongst European air defence techniques, contributing to what Thales describes as “a strong European air defence system.”
Eric Huber, Vice-President for Floor Radars at Thales, mentioned: “We now have carried out all the required processes to speed up industrial manufacturing, tripling radar manufacturing in our manufacturing unit in Limours from 2022 to 2024 and growing the robustness of our provide chain and accomplice ecosystem, to make sure swift on-time supply to contribute to air surveillance and air defence of European nations.”
Supervised by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on behalf of the French Armed Forces Ministry and the DGA, the SAMP/T NG programme is led by Eurosam, with Thales offering a number of key elements together with the hearth management unit primarily based on the Floor Fireplace radar. In line with Thales, the radar’s efficiency will maximise the potential of next-generation Aster 30 missiles and reinforce Europe’s air and missile defence community.