ULTRA and SPECTRA Family Provide Proven Capabilities
As a first step in a strategic cooperation agreement for joint manufacture of radars for ballistic missile defence (BMD) and air and space surveillance programmes, HENSOLDT and Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) ELTA subsidiary are offering an S-band long-range radar for the Germany Navy’s F124-class frigates.
HENSOLDT, which already provides all major Germany Navy ships with radars, will manufacture the core components and completely assemble the radar systems. IAI will contribute technological know-how and extensive experience in development and manufacture of BDM systems, ensuring that proven components will be used. These long-range radars can be offered to the German customer as well as other NATO partners; lifelong service support can also be provided by HENSOLDT.
The cooperation agreement was concluded with ELTA, developers of the ULTRA and SPECTRA radar family, which provide enhanced search and detection capabilities for ballistic missiles and satellites at longer ranges. They are mature, field-proven products that allow flexible design to support changes in operational requirements for future threats.
“IAI sees the collaboration with Hensoldt as a significant step forward in advancing its radar operations in Europe and leveraging its technological expertise accumulated over decades in air defence and space missions. The proven capabilities of radar systems for ballistic missile defence in Israel and worldwide will help Germany to achieve its operational goals. We have identified a growing need for advanced early warning radar systems that provide a detailed real-time aerial image to facilitate the selection of appropriate defence measures,” commented ELTA CEO, Yoav Turgeman.
“As the German champion for military sensor solutions, we will contribute our extensive technical know-how in the field of radar systems in our cooperation with IAI and are pleased to make an important contribution to the Bundeswehr’s capability expansion. Due to our manufacturing capacity in Germany and our long-standing cooperation with the Bundeswehr, we offer reliable, responsive logistics support and a wide range of options for mission-oriented further development,” added HENSOLDT CEO, Thomas Müller.
The ULTRA and SPECTRA systems involved in the cooperation were designed to function independently of each other as detection systems. They support all levels of air defence, ranging from medium- to long- and very long-ranges. Both systems are mobile and offer up to 500km of surveillance and detection capabilities of fighter-sized targets, providing early warning for satellites, ballistic missiles and other air targets at much greater distances.
