IAI partners with Hyundai to supply AESA naval radars to Philippines

IAI's ELM-2258 multifunction lightweight radar (Janes/Patrick Allen )

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has signed an agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to supply its ELM-2258, also known as the advanced lightweight phased-array (ALPHA) 3D radar system, to the Philippine Navy.

In a media release on 26 April, IAI said the ELM-2258, developed by its subsidiary Elta Systems, will be integrated on the Philippine Navy's new corvettes that are being developed by HHI.

IAI's ALPHA 3D radar system is a combat-proven multifunction radar that uses active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology and has the capability to “help the Philippine Navy address [a] wide range of current and future threats”, a spokesperson for the company told Janes.

Featuring a fully digital software-driven architecture, the ALPHA 3D radar system delivers low life cycle costs (LCC) as well as a cost-effective ability to cope with new threats, the spokesperson said, adding that this is ensured by regular future upgrades primarily through software updates.

HHI will lead the integration of ELM-2258 on the Philippine Navy's new corvettes, the spokesperson added.

According to Janes C4ISR & Mission Systems: Maritime, IAI's ELM-2258 can provide 360° coverage and can track low-flying targets within a range of 25 km and high-flying ones within a range of 250 km in complex environments.

Other features of the system include multibeam, pulse-Doppler, and ‘robust' electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) techniques to facilitate the extraction of ‘fast, low-radar, cross-section' targets; solid-state receiver/transmitter architecture; long-range 3D surveillance and tracking capability; high-resolution surface surveillance and tracking; automatic, medium-range 3D threat alert capability; target classification capability; and automatic gunnery support splash detection and measurement.