Page 90 - Forsvarets Forum nr. 2 / 2024

90
ANNONSE
Thales’ Multi-Mission radar
GM200 MM/C meets key milestones
In February 2024, Thales completed
both the first Ground Master 200 Multi-
Mission Compact Radar (GM200 MM/C)
Factory Acceptance Test and Product
Handover for the Royal Netherlands
Army. The acquisition contract was
signed with the Dutch Defence Materiel
Organization (DMO) in 2019. The systems
are earmarked for the Fire Support
Command and Ground-Based Air
Defence Command. These milestones
were recognized during a two-day event
in the Netherlands attended by over 20
NATO countries.
GM200 MM/C was designed as a
Multi-Mission radar with the Netherlands
Armed Forces. The radar is a replacement
for several radars used throughout NATO
to perform three key missions: Weapon
Locating and Counter-Battery Fire,
Air Surveillance, and Air Defense.
The collaboration between the
Netherlands Armed Forces and Thales
started almost 14 years ago. During that
time span there were numerous firings of
multiple caliber munitions to validate the
tracking and performance capabilities of
the radar. Missile firing trials held in 2022
with the pre-production system to prove
the “quality of track” data to support
Stinger, NASAMS and Patriot were held
by the NL Armed Forces and witnessed by
the Armed Forces of several countries and
industry to confirm the radar’s operational
performance.
GM200 MM/C features dual axis
multibeam with element level control in
an active, electronically scanned array
(AESA) antenna, with the capability
to detect and classify Class 1 UAVs.
Air target tracks are initiated, maintained
and classified automatically.
Target classification includes subclasses
such as fixed-wing, rotary wing and
missile while distinguishing them from
birds and wind farms. The radar was
designed to be platform independent and
utilizes the standard ISO corner container
fitting system widely used on vehicles
throughout NATO and allows for rapid
vehicle integration and interoperability.
Currently three other NATO countries
have joined the cooperation program
with the Netherlands. Norway, Denmark,
and Lithuania have all placed orders for
the GM200 MM/C.