Leonardo to provide RAT 31 DL/M radar system to Indonesian Air Force

Italian defence group Leonardo has signed a contract with Indonesian company PT Len Industri (Persero) to provide an RAT 31DL/M long-range, 3D air-defence radar system for the Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Udara: TNI-AU).

The TNI-AU will operate the L-band, solid-state, phased array radar system to strengthen Indonesia’s air defences, said the company in a 21 January statement, without providing any details about the value of the contract or the delivery schedule.

Leonardo said PT Len Industri will supply local components, infrastructure support, and expert radar maintenance, adding that “for this contract and future programmes in [the] country Leonardo and PT Len Industri plan a joint production of radars in Indonesia”.

The latest developments came after Leonardo announced in November 2019 at the Defense & Security exhibition in Bangkok that it would provide a RAT31 DL radar system to the Royal Thai Air Force.

According to Leonardo, the RAT 31 DL/M, which has an effective range of more than 470 km, has already been acquired by the Austrian, German, and Italian air forces in addition to the air force of an undisclosed northern African country.

The company describes the RAT 31 DL/M as an early warning surveillance system that can detect air and missile threats, including ballistic missiles.