Saudi Arabia operating new air-defence radar

The Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces (RSADF) displayed a previously unseen radar during a parade marking the start of training for the Islamic year 1443 on 18 August.

The Saudi Ministry of Defence released a photograph and a short video showing the event was held at the Institute of Air Defence Forces training facility in Jeddah and included components from Patriot, HAWK, Shahine (Crotale), and Skyguard air defence systems as well as a truck carrying a radar with an elevated antenna and a second that may have been the associated command post.

While the radar could not be seen clearly in the available imagery, it appeared to match the 3D TDA radar that was unveiled by the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) during the World Radar Expo held in Nanjing in April.

CETC said the S-band radar uses advanced digital array and software technology to detect and track low-altitude targets such as cruise missiles as well as small and slow unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

A dismounted TDA was displayed at the Expo, but CETC released a photograph showing six radars that were mounted on Mercedes-Benz Arocs heavy-duty trucks and painted a desert colour like the one seen in the RSADF parade.