69 ELM-2180 WatchGuard at €36 Million
ELTA Systems, an Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) company, and ESG Elektroniksystem-und Logistik GmbH will manufacture and deliver 69 WatchGuard tactical mobile radar systems to German land forces in a procurement valued at €36 million, the companies announced on 17 June.
The first systems are to be delivered by early 2022, with final deliveries scheduled for 2024. Included in the contract are training courses and resources and initial spare parts in order to effectively share best practices.
WatchGuard is a fifth generation movement-detection tactical ground surveillance radar (GSR), employing both staring and electronic-steering search techniques. Featuring a high update rate, the radar enables very high probability of target detection and tracking to support complex missions. The staring/scanning combination allows radar optimisation for any scenario.
The new BARÜ (ground-based reconnaissance and area monitoring system) radar is intended to replace the aging legacy systems: PARA (tank reconnaissance radar), ABRA (artillery observation radar), LEGAR 1 (light battlefield reconnaissance radar), and BOR-A 550 (GSR) in Bundeswehr service.
BARÜ is intended to supply comprehensive on-demand information acquisition for all levels of command, to determine threat potential and operational conditions in potential crisis areas, for example. The all-weather day/night system is capable of long-term reconnaissance and surveillance of large areas, within a small force footprint. Further, it enables Force Shared Tactical Fire Support (STF), in addition to providing target tracking of previously identified enemy forces and contributing to fire correction and effects intelligence.
“IAI is a pioneer in the development of persistent radar technology offering [a] variety of products with sales worldwide. Throughout the years, our customers have provided us with real-time operational feedback and combat experiences that have been integrated into all of our products,” observed Zvi Yarom, VP/GM of IAI-ELTA Land Systems Division.
