Thales Launches 4D AESA Radar for Naval Platforms

Thales today announced a 4D AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) air and surface surveillance radar, the NS50 for naval platforms.

With the NS50, Thales aims to bring the benefits of  4D AESA radar to naval vessels where 2D radars are the standard, a Thales release said.

The 4D AESA radar not only provides bearing, range and elevation (3D), but also in-depth analysis of the target’s Doppler and other characteristics during that extended time-on-target (the 4th dimension) in every single scan.

The result is a vastly superior air and surface detection, tracking & classification performance when compared to 3D and 2D radars.

The NS50 radar is a 4D AESA dual-axis multi-beam radar conceived with a range up to 180 kilometers on a price point to meet the budget consideration of all naval services. Scalable and easily upgradable, software-defined (future-proof) 4D AESA compact radar technology is deployable across all ship classes, combining surveillance and weapon support into one.

This X-band radar can integrate with the latest ship defence weapons, such as new gun-ammunition and active short-to-medium range missiles. The system’s weapon support functionality will provide military-grade 4D track data, either to the ship’s gun systems or active missile systems for “First Time Right” anti-surface or anti-air engagements.