IDEF 2023: Meteksan unveils Retinar AESA multimission radar

Meteksan unveiled the Retinar AESA radar at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)

Meteksan unveiled the Retinar active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul. The software-defined multimission radar is designed for counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UASs), point air-defence systems, and surveillance systems.

Ödül Öden, Meteksan's international sales manager, told Janes on 27 July that the radar has 90° azimuth and elevation and operates in the S-band, with an instrumental range of up to 24 km.

The Retinar AESA radar's multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) architecture allows it to simultaneously detect slow-moving targets such as humans or mini/micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and fast-moving targets such as loitering munitions or tactical UAVs. The radar can detect 0.01 m² UAVs at ranges of up to 4 km, 1 m² tactical UAVs and humans up to 10 km, 7 m² helicopters and small vehicles up to 20 km, and large 20 m² vehicles up to 24 km, according to Meteksan.

The Retinar AESA radar can detect naval targets in addition to aerial and ground targets, according to Öden. Four radars can provide 360° coverage, a configuration which Öden said could be provided for an on-the-move C-UAS system. Meteksan displayed a model of a 4×4 vehicle, dubbed Felix, with Retinar AESA radars, which weigh less than 35 kg each, mounted on the front, the rear, and on each side. Such a vehicle will be employed to protect convoys.