Mastering tomorrow's complex challenges today - with proven radar technology

SMART-L Multi Mission (MM) long-range and multi-mission radar provides the armed forces with unique performance. No other radar in its category covers such a wide spectrum of operational requirements like shorter response times and longer ranges.

SMART-L MM rotation rates of up to 12 rpm and the Doppler processing provide the armed forces with tactical time advantages in the detection and tracking of targets, resulting in response time reserves in target engagement.

Furthermore, targets with speeds of up to 10,000 m/s and distances of up to 2,000 kilometres pose no problem for SMART-L MM. In addition to classic aerial targets and ballistic missiles, the air and naval forces can also acquire and track ex-orbit targets such as satellites and hypersonic gliders.

This high performance is already made possible today by the use of high technologies like a patented extended long-range wave form and latest algorithms as well as a fully digital Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) type antenna with gallium nitrite (GaN) transmitters.
For more than

60 years,

Thales as a market-leading radar manufacturer (number three worldwide, number one in Europe) has been delivering air surveillance radars to armed forces in many countries, including numerous NATO members and the Federal Armed Forces.

One system for all operational challenges

Three variants of the SMART-L MM developed from the proven SMART-L system are available on the market. It can be installed on board naval vessels, as a fixed search radar unit on shore, or as a mobile unit on off-road trucks.

SMART-L MM radars can therefore be used in different applications as an L band family concept across forces. With 28 systems sold in seven member and NATO partner countries, SMART-L is also the NATO standard. The armed forces therefore benefit from the procurement of these radars for different missions: Improved air surveillance

Initial capability of territorial missile defence
Ensuring national contribution capability to the NATO Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) in the fields of early warning and cueing
Use for space surveillance (SSA – Space Situational Awareness)
Unique possibilities to combine mission-oriented operating modes like 360° rotating and 90° rigid sector mode
Easy integration into existing systems like the NATO C4I system ACCS via numerous standardised interfaces
Quantity benefits with respective savings in procurement and logistics
Common training and supply/maintenance among the different users
Wide-ranging international cooperation opportunities between armed forces by interoperability

SpaceX and Dragon 2

On 30 May 2020, SpaceX and NASA made history with their successful launch of the manned demonstration flight 2 (SpX-DM2). This has been the first commercial launch that brought the astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board the International Space Station (ISS). By means of autonomous supervision, the SMART-L MM radar could detect and track both the Crew Dragon and the Second Stage while they flew over Europe at a speed of 28,000 km/h.

High operational availability – Reliable order fulfilment

The easy availability of almost all radar components has already been ensured by the design. The active antenna and other radar components are accessible for the maintenance staff. Furthermore, automated test routines and the digitalised documentation ensure simple and quick maintenance of the SMART-L MM. This simple equipment maintenance at the radar site without any disassembly results from the draft as a ship radar with respective benefits also in an air force installation. The low failure rate and the easy maintenance result in a high operational availability.

A future-proof system – Off-the-shelf

The commercial SMART-L MM radar systems of which up to 50% of the components are manufactured in Germany – e.g. bearing, main drive, swivel and high-power amplifier – have antennas containing more than 1,500 state-of-the-art GaN sender/receiver modules. All variants of the SMART-L MM radar range are largely software-based. This enables the armed forces to face new threats and to react to changing mission scenarios without further procurement and without any hardware modifications.

Detection and tracking of space targets like satellites and hypersonic gliders at target speeds of up to 10,000 m/s
Target tracking up to the zenith (90°) and “active weapon tracking” with increased data repeat rates in the BMD “sensor to shooter capability” sector mode without an additional weapon system radar through very high precision in elevation and azimuth

Thales Deutschland as a partner – Guarantor for customer satisfaction and use

Thales Deutschland with its headquarters in Ditzingen is one of the largest national organisations within the Thales Group and has around 2,000 employees at 9 locations with own production and development. In 2022, the company achieved a turnover of about 500 million Euro – mainly from German value creation. In its 140 years of history, Thales and its predecessor companies have equipped the German armed forces with radar, radio and navigation systems, and have maintained a trusting and productive cooperation with the Federal Armed Forces from the beginning.

A significant German value creation beyond system support during use can also be demonstrated by the German Thales subsidiaries with their own radar development and production.

SMART-L MM - The allied forces radar family concept for all operational challenges

SMART-L MM in series production and in use

SMART-L MM has been developed in close coordination with the end users’ requirements, and has been in series production since 2015. Currently, two systems are implemented in the army version as an MPR (Medium Power Radar) replacement at the Netherlands Armed Forces, and four systems are implemented in the naval version on the AAW frigates of the Netherlands Navy. In each case, one version has already been installed at a radar site or a frigate.