Thales’ GM400 Alpha Radar for Estonian Air Force

The Estonian Center for Defence Investment (ECDI) bought 2 Ground Master 400 Alpha radars from Thales for the Estonian Air Force to reinforce the country’s airspace.

Estonia was one of the first countries to procure the GM400 since its launch in 2008. The new contract was signed during the ongoing Paris Airshow.

Given the multitude of threats and conflicts in constant evolution, building a reliable, accurate, up-to-date Recognized Air Picture (RAP) is becoming a challenge. To maintain airspace sovereignty, Forces need to rely on assets that provide superior situational awareness at all times.

The resurgence in geostrategic confrontations has significantly increased demand for airspace protection solutions. In addition to conventional aircraft and missiles, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) now also constitute a threat to airspace sovereignty. Easy-to-deploy Ground Master (GM) radars have become highly survivable assets for detecting all kinds of threats at long range and at low altitude.

Leveraging on years of successful field experience, GaN technology and a digital architecture, the new GM400 Alpha provides 5 times more processing power, an increase in instrumented range of 10% (515km) and is ready for advanced artificial intelligence capabilities.

Estonia is historically a long-standing user of the GM400 radar since its first acquisition of 2 GM400 in 2009 for MRR2010 and mid-life upgrades in 2022. This new contract demonstrates the Estonian Center for Defence Investments (ECDI) satisfaction with Thales radar solutions. Designed to offer mobility, GM400 Alpha fits into a compact 20ft container with built-in lifting systems, and offer excellent redeployment times.