At this year’s DIMDEX exhibition (Doha, 29-31 March 2016), the Qatar Armed Forces have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the selection of the Thales SEARCHMASTER® multirole surveillance radar. The radar will equip their Optionally Piloted Vehicles - Aircraft (OPV-A) and respond to their land and naval surveillance requirements.
This airborne radar, tailored to all platform types meets the surveillance requirements of five mission types: ground surveillance, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance and tactical air support. The SEARCHMASTER® radar features an AESA active electronic scanning antenna, based on qualified technologies developed for the nose-mounted radar of the Rafale combat aircraft.
“The Qatar Armed Forces aim at excellence and innovation. We have been partnering with Thales for decades. Thanks to this new Thales solution, we shall grow further our Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities,” said General Khalid Ahmad Al-Kuwari, Qatar Armed Forces.
The SEARCHMASTER® radar offers high levels of threat detection performance over land or sea in all weather conditions. Thanks to its compact, lightweight design, giving it the best weight class performance, it is simple to integrate on a wide range of platforms.
It can be deployed on Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs, helicopters for medium to heavy missions and turboprop-powered special mission aircrafts, providing them with multi-mission capabilities.
SEARCHMASTER® provides a range of 200 nautical miles (air to sea). The system can detect even the smallest stationary and moving maritime targets, including in high sea states. It also provides very high-resolution radar imagery.
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 62,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of €14 billion in 2015.
With over 22,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its unique international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.
Photo: Thales SEVP International Development Pascale Sourisse and Qatar Armed Forces General Khalid Ahmad Al-Kuwari announcing the MoU at DIMDEX on March 30.
