Unique Technology Proves Compelling
Danish radar specialist Weibel Scientific has landed a major contract from Kongsberg for the supply of radars for a new mobile ground-based air defence system for the Norwegian Army, the company announced on 19 November.
The contract marks a major step forward for Weibel and brings it into direct contention for a place in the billion-dollar market for ground-based air defence radars.
January saw the company open an office in Norway as part of a strategy to move into the market for drone detection and ground-based air defence radars. It has now finalised its first Scandinavian agreement in this market. In a multi-million dollar deal, the contract with Kongsberg “[…] is one of the most strategically important contracts we have won in our entire history,” says Peder R Pedersen, Weibel Scientific’s CEO. “We have demonstrated that, when up against the very biggest players in the global surveillance radar market, Weibel’s technology stands out.”
The unique capability of Weibel’s ground-based air defence radars is the ability to detect and track very low-flying, small and slow (LSS) drones at long ranges. The pioneering technology is a combination of surveillance and high-precision tracking, developed by Weibel for the Indonesian Air Force in 2016. This same technology will help to monitor threats in Norwegian airspace.
“We won by being the only radar manufacturer in the world that can deliver a completely unique technology that is in high demand. When we delivered the first radar that combined Doppler and pulse technology to Indonesia three years ago, we established a foundation for a completely new business area with great potential. This contract with Kongsberg is yet another milestone on our strategic journey,” Pedersen added.
In addition to the radar systems from Weibel, the Norwegian Army’s Mobile Ground Based Air Defence System consists of systems from Kongsberg and Raytheon’s NASAMS, as well as a missile system from Diehl Defence.
In 2017, Weibel entered a strategic partnership with Lockheed Martin for the development of radar systems for the US Army, leading to the addition of 50% new employees over the last 18 months. The Danish radar manufacturer also recently announced yet another significant contract in Norway – to supply a test radar for the Andøya Test Center in Tromsø.
Bolstered by this and the latest Kongsberg agreement, Weibel is continuing its expansion.
