German Armed Forces receive final Ground Alerter 10 sense and warn camp protection system

• On 16 October 2024, Thales officially handed over the final commissioned Ground Alerter (GA) 10 radar, from a total order of 17 GA 10 warning and alerting systems delivered to the German Armed Forces in Koblenz.
• The GA10 is a portable C-RAM (Counter - Rocket, Artillery, Mortar) alert and impact zone early warning system for camp protection as well as dismounted operations in convoy protection
• The radar system has already proven itself in asymmetric scenarios and saved numerous lives in the past.

DITZINGEN / KOBLENZ — [16 October 2024] — In a ceremony held today at its Koblenz site, Thales handed over the final radar of a total of 17 Ground Alerter 10 (GA 10) warning and alerting systems for protection against indirect fire (WASI) to the Bundeswehr. In February 2021, the company was awarded the contract by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to supply an initial five systems, with the option for further systems, following a competitive tendering process. The contract, which in addition to the delivery of the systems also includes training, documentation and an initial supply of spare parts, was completed today with the handover of the last system on time and on budget and to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

Eric Huber, Vice President Surface Radars Thales, commented “We are very pleased with this successful project completion on time and on budget, demonstrating Thales capabilities in camp protection and warning alerts. The GA10 contributes significantly to the protection of German soldiers during their important missions at home and abroad. Our Ground Alerter 10, manufactured in Ditzingen as a European military off-the-shelf product, draws on strong radar expertise and operational experience, and has already saved many lives in the past, and we are particularly proud of that."

The Ground Alerter 10 is a portable counter rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) system for Force Protection. It is combat proven in various missions, such as convoy protection, camp protection and has saved many lives in the recent past. Its integrated alert network warns military personnel of missile and mortar threats by generating an acoustic and visual alert at the estimated impact point area. This takes place as soon as the trajectory indicates an imminent impact in the respective safety area and the system simultaneously provides reliable data on the firing position at an early stage to facilitate necessary countermeasures. To date, various GA10s are already in use to protect UN camps in North East and Eastern Mali, as well as by the French Forces in several out-of-area camps

Easy to set-up, operate and transport, the GA10 is well suited for deployment in dismounted operations for convoy protection. Two people can accomplish en-camp/de-camp and only one person is required for system initialization and monitoring. Being the lightest system of its class and completely portable (only 1- or 2-men loads), re-deployment of the system is possible with protected vehicles or by helicopter. Mandatory for mobile operations, the GA10 prime power consumption only amounts to 350 Watts and facilitates battery-only supply.

Expertise in radar technology

At Thales Germany's Baden-Württemberg site in Ditzingen near Stuttgart, tried-and-tested, highly mobile radars for ground and coastal surveillance are developed and manufactured that are used by armed and security forces worldwide for stationary or mobile protection of complex environments.

Note to the editors

The Ground Alerter 10 is a complete sense and warn system consisting of a UHF radar, an integrated alarm network with multiple wireless and wired alarm devices and an operating unit (ruggedized laptop).

The radar system consists of the main elements:

• Antenna (incl. GPS positioning system) with 6 m telescopic mast
• electronic radar frequency control unit (RFC)
• electronic signal processing unit (SPC)

The power supply is also possible with a battery system. This consists of two 6-packs (6-fold battery arrangement) of Li-Ion batteries of the internationally used type BB2590 in a transport box that also serves as a charging station.

With a corresponding interconnection (J-unit), the battery boxes can be alternately replaced during operation. The set of two boxes is sufficient to operate the radar for > 2x4 hours. The system is operated with a ruggedized laptop with a European keyboard via the VENUS operating software. The integrated alarm network selectively generates an audible and visual alarm only in the area of the point of impact.