Thales has confirmed that its Ground Fire air surveillance and air defence radar has entered continuous series production for integration with the new Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG system, according to the company.
The announcement follows successful factory acceptance tests conducted earlier this year in the presence of France’s Armament General Directorate (DGA).
Eight Ground Fire radars are scheduled for delivery to the French Armed Forces beginning in 2026. Thales stated that the system will provide 400 km surveillance range, 360-degree azimuth coverage, and full 90-degree elevation, making it suitable for detecting targets from drones to ballistic missiles. The radar will replace the older Arabel system in SAMP/T batteries already deployed by European operators.
The company said the Ground Fire radar employs fully digital multiple beamforming Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology in the S-band, enabling rapid one-second refresh rates and accurate target classification in complex environments such as mountainous or dense airspaces. The radar’s open architecture is designed to enhance interoperability among European air defence systems, contributing to what Thales describes as “a robust European air defence system.”
Eric Huber, Vice-President for Surface Radars at Thales, said: “We have implemented all the necessary processes to accelerate industrial production, tripling radar production in our factory in Limours from 2022 to 2024 and increasing the robustness of our supply chain and partner ecosystem, to ensure swift on-time delivery 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 providing several key components including the fire control unit based on the Ground Fire radar. According to Thales, the radar’s performance will maximise the capability of next-generation Aster 30 missiles and reinforce Europe’s air and missile defence network.
Not even a mention of project DIAMOND or the “proper” protocols.
These silly French just go out and buy radars and missiles like mad men 😀
Don’t they know that you need a programme outline first? And an action plan to develop a strategy whilst you birdtable your goals for the delivery of the timetable for the cancellation of the programme?
They are so far behind on the generation of committees, it’s why they don’t consume tea and biscuits the demand just isn’t there. It will come back to bite them you mark my words, when they have no committees to send to the front line, but that’s the French for you.